APRILIS National Volunteers Month. Iknowwesaythiseverymonth,butthe Ombudsmanprogramcouldn’treachas manyconsumers,anddo as much for long-termcare residents, without theinvaluablecontribution of our volunteers. No matter where you live across the state of Ohio, there is an opportunity for you to volunteer with the Ombudsman program!
The State of Ohio Long-Term-Care-Ombudsman Program exists and serves consumers in all 88 counties in Ohio. Our regions serve individuals in 17 of those 88 counties. Our two regional programs (Region 3 and Region 4) are housed in Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE) and serve long-term-care consumers from Williams to Erie County and from Lucas to Auglaize County (and all 13 counties in between).
All Ombudsman programs in Ohio are federally and state sponsored to provide free and confidential advocacy services to residents of nursing homes, assisted-living homes, and group homes. Excellence in care and resident rights are the focus of our advocates, and we work to reach as many consumers and members of the public as possible to share information about quality care. Volunteers are a very important part of the program. Our volunteers are locally trained and become certified, after which they can perform advocacy, provide community education, and even handle cases. Our volunteers come from diverse backgrounds and are all ages; some are actively employed, and others are retired. No matter their background or stage in life, all our volunteers are generous with their time, compassion, and willingness to advocate for longterm- care consumers. We currently have over 20 volunteers who work alongside our staff to visit over 300 nursing homes and assisted-living facilities at least four times per year! For more information about our services and the volunteer program, our local office can be reached at 419-259-2891 or 1-800-542-1874.
Lori Davis is Region 4 Volunteer Coordinator for the Ombudsman office. ✲
