Volunteer Advocates Needed For Seniors And The Disabled
More than 230 nursing and assisted living facilities care for older Americans in the 10-county region, and the Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area Council of Governments needs dedicated volunteers to be advocates for seniors living in those facilities and to serve in its ombudsman program.
The ombudsman program is recruiting volunteers who have a sense of civic duty and want to give back to the elderly community. A volunteer ombudsman assists residents and their families by ensuring a voice for those unable to speak for themselves. “Serving as an ombudsman is an important job, because seniors deserve to have their communities take proper care of them,” said Pete Moreno, the Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area managing lead ombudsman. “They should have the best care possible and an advocate who has a passion for helping seniors.”
Ombudsmen are specially trained and certified volunteers. They advocate for residents’ rights and quality of care by regularly visiting and observing residents in long-term care facilities. Volunteer ombudsmen also identify and investigate complaints; and educate residents, families, and staff on maintaining the health, safety, and welfare of facilities’ residents. Ombudsman services are both free and confidential.
CAPCOG is enlisting volunteers throughout the region, but the region would greatly benefit by increasing the number of ombudsmen in Llano, Lee and Fayette counties. CAPCOG’s 10-county region also includes Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties.
No experience is required to volunteer as an ombudsman. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and complete a free training course consisting of classroom study and training at local nursing homes. After training, volunteers serve in an internship where they work two to four hours per month in an assigned facility. Hours are flexible and determined by the volunteer. After their internship, volunteers ideally will visit a nursing or an assisted living facility in their local community once a week.
Go to http://www.capcog.org/divisions/area-agency-on-aging/ombudsman to learn more about the ombudsman program. Contact Moreno at 512-916-6054 or cpmoreno@capcog.org for more information about volunteering.
