ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Advocacy groups gathered at Washington Square Park in Rochester to demand improvements in nursing home care during the inaugural Long-Term Care Reform Day.

MORE: Consumer Alert: Waterview closure delayed as Rochester residents scramble for placement

ROAR 4 Long-Term Care (ROAR 4 LTC) and the Elder Justice Committee of Metro Justice were among the groups calling for change, pointing to the crisis at Waterview Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing as evidence of the need for reform. News10NBC’s Declan Stablow was at the rally.

This rally and others across the country have been in the works for about ten months.

Organizers said when Waterview Heights developed into a crisis earlier this year, it became a primary focus. Advocates said the Department of Health did not do enough to monitor that situation.

They called for increased oversight at both the state and federal level, as well as meaningful enforcement. An important symbol at the event was the Empty Chair Experience, a wheelchair featuring the photos and stories of people who suffered or died in nursing homes.

Dorothy Avery with ROAR said events like this are important because elder care is not discussed enough.

It saddens her knowing some residents at Waterview Heights are being moved out of Rochester due to a lack of beds.

“I also don’t understand why there wasn’t a plan. Because everyone knew that Waterview Heights was awful. Yeah, everyone knows that. And so it couldn’t have been a surprise that this was coming. So why wasn’t there a plan? Why are people being transparent about that?” Avery said.

The rally in Rochester was one of 29 held nationwide. Organizers said long-term care residents are not invisible or alone, and that reform cannot wait.

A DOH spokesman said resident safety is a priority and the DOH monitors remain onsite to assure the closure process goes as smoothly as possible.

Watch News10NBC’s investigative stories

Here are some of the stories that News10NBC’s Deanna Dewberry has done about Waterview Heights and oversight for local nursing homes:

• Consumer Investigation: Some Waterview residents transferred to hospitals; closing date moved to Tuesday
• Consumer Investigation: Waterview resident said he’s kicked out without notice, left homeless
• News10NBC Investigates: Waterview’s plan to find beds for more than 160 residents
• News10NBC Investigates: Going inside nursing homes to see whether they’re following transparency laws
• Investigates: Exclusive video inside Waterview Heights sheds light on resident’s fall from window
• Consumer Investigation: 5 of the worst-rated nursing homes in Monroe County overdue for state inspections
• Sources say patient who fell from window and died at Waterview was living in psychiatric wing
• Consumer Investigation: Waterview Heights closure forces more than 160 residents to find new care placements
• Consumer Investigation: Inspection raises questions about deaths of 4 residents
• News10NBC Investigation: Allegations of neglect at Waterview Heights Nursing Home

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