About Us

Who are we?
We are residents of long-term care facilities (both current and former), people with disabilities, grassroots organizers, and community members who are committed to protecting the lives of our siblings living in long-term care facilities

When did we start?
We came together in April 2020, initially organized by leaders of Chicago ADAPT and the Alliance for Community Services, to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and death in congregate care

What are we doing?
We are trying to prevent further deaths of people in these facilities through emergency relocation and other emergency responses that prioritize saving lives and through organizing current residents

In 2023, we launched a broader “Humanize Long Term Care” campaign, to address both immediate needs of facility residents and long term systemic policy changes that prioritize the dignity of people over private profit.

How are we organized?
We are a statewide project, staffed/sponsored by the Alliance for Community Services, and we collaborate with groups from across the country who are working towards similar goals

We hold our Monthly Meetings online every 2nd Wednesday of the month at 6:00 – 7:30 pm CST where we share updates, make group decisions, and learn more about pressing issues

We have weekly Resident Solidarity meetings online on Thursdays at 4pm CST where current residents can meet with each other as well as former residents, ombudsmen, and community organizers to discuss life in the facilities, provide mutual support for addressing problems and identify campaigns needed for systemic change

We have a steering committee to give overall strategy and leadership within IRRC/HumanizeLTC and make decisions that cannot wait for a general meeting

To attend a meeting, email us at manager@irrcoalition.org

What have we accomplished?

We successfully ran a campaign to #SaveOurOmbudsmen – when we found out Chicago’s long-term care ombudsmen were not only staffed at 50% during the entire pandemic, but were at risk of losing their jobs to privatize, our residents spoke out and got a commitment from the Governor’s office to keep the program public and fully funded

We collaborate nationally with other organizations for the SILVER (Saving Institutional Lives Via Emergency Relocation) program, and have met with FEMA and IEMA to push for funding to be allocated for groups to conduct emergency relocations for residents in the wake of disasters (such as COVID-19)

We supported Illinois Senate Bill 921 (which passed into law in May 2021), which creates an Access and Functional Needs Advisory Committee to address the challenges people with disabilities in Illinois have faced and continue to face during disasters and emergencies.