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in their mother’s nurs-
ing home. As they were
discussing the pro-
cess, Carol made two
remarks that Kathy
couldn’t forget: Carol
asserted that if their
mother had been asked
20 years earlier to en-
dure such tribulations
for the outcome of
better care for people
in nursing homes, she
would have said yes
because that’s who she
was. Carol then asked,
“But Kathy, what do
families do if they don’t
have a ‘you’ – someone
who knows the regula-
tions and how to navi-
gate the system? How
Our Mother’s Voice is a nonprofit
organization on a mission to empower do they ever get their loved one the care
advocates for quality services and they need?” Kathy pondered those two
support for people in nursing homes comments on her drive home that night,
or other long-term care settings (assist- and Our Mother’s Voice was born.
ed living, in-home care, memory care, Our Mother’s Voice uses the Internet
etc.). Its founders, sisters Kathy Bradley to provide information accessible
and Carol Hay, established Our Mother’s to everyone. The website
Voice in 2010 because of the challenges www.ourmothersvoice.org contains
they faced in securing appropriate care discussions of important concepts that
and services for their mother, a lifelong are included in federal regulations,
activist for social justice for groups giving examples of what those concepts
without a voice in our country, when mean in everyday lives of people in
she suddenly declined into severe long-term care. There are many links to
dementia and lost her ability to speak. additional resources. In addition, Kathy
Having just retired from providing long- presents both in person and online to
term care for 33 years, Kathy knew the diverse groups, including caregivers,
regulations and how to navigate the sys- families, civic groups, church groups,
tem to bring about the needed changes professionals, nursing home staff –
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