Volunteer Ombudsman Program Comes to Clark and Taylor Counties
Monday, December 15th, 2014 -- 10:21 AM
-The Volunteer Ombudsman Program has come to Clark and Taylor Counties.Suzanne Ankenbrandt, Volunteer Coordinator of the Volunteer Ombudsman Program with the State Board of Aging and Long Term Care, explained what the Ombudsman Program is.
Suzanne said, "Volunteer Ombudsman act as the eyes and ears for the Regional Ombudsman. They make weekly visits to an assigned nursing home to see how things are going with residents. We don't get into medical issues or anything like that, but it's making sure that the residents' rights are protected. Just because a person moves into a nursing home doesn't mean you've lost your rights."
Suzanne said they are very selective of those that want to become a part of the program, having to go through meetings, background checks, interviews and more. There has been some interest in the program already, even though it's only been available here for a short time.
Suzanne said that this program is very rewarding for people.
"This is a very, very satisfying program," said Suzanne. "You get to know the people and they get to know you. The other things is, from a practical standpoint, it's a very flexible volunteer opportunity. They have a real sense of fulfillment and gratification and sometimes people say to me that they get more out of it then they think they give."
If you'd like to learn more about the program, you can contact Suzanne at 1-800-815-0015.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.