Imagine for a moment what it might be like to give up your independence,
to rely upon others to get you where you want to go, to prepare your
food or help you bathe and dress? What if you had to follow someone
else’s schedule and had your choices restricted and your movement
confined to a wheelchair or walker? That is a concern for many people
who find themselves considering the move to a care facility.
There are good facilities, mediocre facilities and poor facilities. You
can not always tell by looking. Often what is needed is a person not working for the facility,
someone who can be objective, whose sole
concern is the resident‘s well-being. That person is an ombudsman who observes the environment, visits with the residents,
builds rapport and trust, and always advocates for the resident’s
rights.
Ombudsmen are heroes.
Well, not like firemen, police officers, or soldiers, but they make a
difference in the quality of life for those who fall under the radar-the
old people in our society that can no longer live independently and need
someone to be a voice for their well-being.
Ombudsmen are trained to know the laws pertaining to assisted living and
nursing home facilities. Taught to advocate for the residents when
they are unable or unwilling to advocate for themselves, these
volunteers can enter
a facility at the time of their choice and talk to a resident privately
and confidentially. They act on their own observations and on complaints
of the residents, family members and even at the request of the
facility.
