Well, I now have a few months under my belt as the new regional ombudsman coordinator.
I have learned so much from my co-workers, volunteers, and the area residents. I have really enjoyed getting to know so many new faces and their stories. I am excited about my new job with the Area Agency on Aging and I look forward to continuing to learn more and more about the people in our area.
One thing I have learned in the last few months that really stands out to me is that we need more ombudsman volunteers.
This is a desperate need. I have visited most of the area nursing homes, assisted living, and residential care facilities in the four county area. I have noticed that as I visit a home that does not have a volunteer, I leave the building with pages of notes to work on for residents. When I visit a home that has a regular volunteer the list of concerns is short. The concerns are also much different from a place that has a volunteer. The concerns from homes with volunteers seem to be focused on fine-tuning their home versus trying to discover how to voice a concern.
Ombudsman volunteers really do make a difference in the lives of residents. Volunteers visit the home they are assigned to once a week. They visit with residents and get to know them
Sometimes the volunteer ombudsman is the only visitor some residents see. The residents let the volunteer know about the things they would like to see changed in their home. With the permission of the resident the volunteer will work with the home to try to make that change happen. When residents start to see that they do have a voice in what happens at their home, and that they can make things change, then the residents have a better quality of life. Are you ready? Are you ready to help make a difference in the lives of our seniors who are living in area facilities?
Your next question is probably…What do I have to do? First, contact me by stopping by the agency office or call me at 781-7562, ext. 18.
If you decide this position is right for you then you will go through several trainings to equip you for your job. You will then shadow another volunteer to get the feel for how things work as you visit the residents. Then you will have an opportunity to attend quarterly trainings throughout the year. As an ombudsman volunteer you will be required to attend two of those trainings each year. The trainings are fun and informational. This is also a good time to visit with other ombudsman volunteers and compare techniques and enjoy the time and lunch together.
So if you have a few hours each week to be able to give to the residents of an area nursing home, assisted living or residential care facility I challenge you to step out and make the first move towards making the lives of others better.
We all either know someone now or will know someone in the future who lives in a facility; let’s work together to improve the quality of life for those living there now and in the future.
Angie Gentry is the ombudsman coordinator for the Area Agency on Aging.
