CMS has issued a memo reminding nursing homes to facilitate their residents' right to vote. Guidance for nursing home administrators is included in the memo.
The memo was issued Sept. 26 by the directors of the Quality, Safety and Oversight Group, and the Survey and Operations Group.
Here are four things to know about the memo:
- A resident's right to vote must not be impeded by a nursing home or its staff.
- Nursing home administrators must have a plan to support resident's right to vote, whether that is in person, by mail, via absentee ballot or through other means. This plan should include engaging with state programs when possible.
- Nursing home administrators must ensure residents exercising their right to vote are supported and "free of interference, coercion, discrimination, and reprisal from the facility."
- Residents may contact state agencies and the Justice Department if they believe their rights have been violated or if they have been subjected to voter coercion or intimidation.
Read the full memo here.