Advocates for Residents Living in Nursing Homes Needed
Volunteer to be a voice for those who are unable to make their voices heard. The Regional Long Term Care Ombudsman Program at Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE) is seeking volunteer ombudsmen to help provide advocacy services to residents living in nursing homes located in your county.
In 1978, The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program was mandated by the Older Americans Act to serve as a visible advocate for the elderly. Long-Term Care Ombudsmen advocate for residents’ rights and quality care and provide education to empower long-term care recipients.
Volunteers are essential to the Regional Long-Term Care Ombudsman services. They extend the capacity of the program by establishing a presence in the nursing home facilities of northwestern Ohio.
Volunteer Ombudsmen are trained before entering a facility. They receive certification by the State of Ohio following a 12-hour initial training and a Bureau of Criminal Investigation Check. This training is designed to assist participants in becoming effective advocates for nursing home residents. Once certified, volunteers are expected to contribute a minimum of four hours each month at an assigned facility.
Approximately 9,000 individuals reside in the one hundred nursing homes located in the program’s 10 county service area, which includes Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Sandusky, Williams, and Wood Counties.
For more information, or if you are interested in volunteering for this program, please contact the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program Volunteer Coordinator at 419-259-2891 or 1-800-542-1874. You can also express your interest through email at volunte[email protected]. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
ABLE is a non-profit law firm that provides free legal assistance in civil matters to low-income individuals and groups in a 32-county area of northwest and west central Ohio. ABLE is affiliated with Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc.
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