Residents of nursing homes, assisted living centers or residential care facilities may have common complaints such as quality of food served, temperature of the facility, lack of engaging activities, concerns about finances or how staff interacts with residents. Concerns are as varied as the population of the facilities, but once all the information is in place, remediation of most complaints is easy.
To help with these concerns, there are extra eyes and ears of volunteers who represent and work for the residents and who then work with the longcare facility staff to mediate and/or resolve the complaints. These volunteers, known as long-term care ombudsmen, are committed to improving and enriching the lives of older people.
Ombudsmen trained and then assigned to a facility in their area. These ombudsmen visit their facility a minimum of two hours each week. They are trained to look for and to deal with concerns that may arise and to refer those complaints to Ombudsman Supervisor Cherrie Nutley.
Each month, the ombudsmen meet with Cherrie to report on their facility and the residents there. They also participate in continuing education opportunities.
Cherrie also does routine visits every three months to facilities in Beckham, Custer, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Kiowa, Roger Mills and Washita counties. Ombudsmen receiving calls seeking assistance prompts additional visits by Cherrie.
The Ombudsman Program came about with the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987. It basically states that all residents of nursing homes, assisted living centers or residential care facilities are entitled to receive quality care and live in an environment that improves or maintains the quality of their physical and mental health.
If you are interested in finding out more about reporting concerns or becoming an ombudsman, please give Cherrie a call at (580) 562-5032.