Resident Rights Advocacy Initiative

Written By Lindsay Heckler, Esq., MPH

We Want to Hear from You!  

In partnership with the Empire Justice Center and through funding made available by the NY Health Foundation, we are pleased to announce the expansion of our nursing home resident rights resource guide. This guide, originally made possible by the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit fund, will be updated and expanded to cover 14 counties from WNY into the Finger Lakes region. 

We want to hear from the community who have had personal experiences with nursing homes. In connecting with our community at large, we will be able to sharpen the tools we provide to residents that promote self-advocacy. By drawing on your experiences, we hope to cultivate a valuable pool of knowledge that will result in a more comprehensive resident rights resource guide.

If you wish to take the survey via phone or have a paper copy sent in the mail please contact Supervising Attorney Lindsay Heckler at lheckler@elderjusticeny.org or at (716)-853-3087 x 212.

Lindsay Heckler, Esq., MPH

Lindsay Heckler is the Policy Director at Center for Elder Law & Justice, where she manages the agency’s response to nursing home and long-term care policies and regulations; as well as other issues that impact older adults and vulnerable populations. She is the legal liaison for the partnership between the Center for Elder Law & Justice and People Inc.’s NYS Region 15 Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, and is a certified ombudsman. In her roles as legal liaison and ombudsman, Ms. Heckler is an advocate and resource for information pertaining to long term care issues for residents in nursing homes, adult homes, and their families. Lindsay was previously Associate Compliance Counsel for a Medicare Compliance Company, assisting clients in navigating the CMS system, policy initiatives and appeals procedures. Lindsay graduated from the University of Rochester in 2007, University at Buffalo School of Law in 2010, and the University at Buffalo School of Public Health & Health Professions in 2011.

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