ABSTRACT
Little attention has been paid to the political activities of the institutionalized elderly, perhaps because they are assumed to be incapable of asserting their rights or monitoring their living environment. This chapter presents a case study of a Minnesota organization of nursing home residents, the Minnesota Alliance of Health Care Consumers (MAHCC), reports on the organized political activities of the frailest of the elderly: nursing home residents. In this study, a sociological perspective called resource mobilization theory is used that analyzes how a constituency mobilizes resources such as money, facilities, land, labor, technical expertise, or legitimacy. The study suggests that within the context of a professional social movement, the disabilities themselves can be transformed into an intangible resource. MAHCC’s key objective continues to be the development and support of any legislation, policies, or regulations that will have a positive impact on nursing home residents. Generally their efforts can be characterized as either proactive, reactive, or covert.
