When COVID19 first made headlines with its arrival in the United States, it was in our backyard at a long-term care facility in Kirkland. The impact of the pandemic on long-term care residents has been significant. MSC’s Washington State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program has been a vital partner in addressing this impact. Long-Term Care Ombuds [...]
“You often hear of issues around finance and healthcare decisions with Powers of Attorney and guardianships. But a huge issue we see in long-term care facilities is the guardian or POA agent restricting the elder’s relationships, such as who they can see and socialize with,” says Patricia Hunter, Washington State Long-Term Care Ombuds. “The real [...]
Earlene has been volunteering with the King County Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program for almost eight years. “I got involved because I saw a lot of older people not being able to advocate for themselves, they weren’t speaking up for themselves. There are also a lot of older people that are put into places and their [...]
Sarah was walking down the hall of the nursing home when a partially opened door caught her eye. She saw the name of a man and a woman on the door that she did not recognize. As a volunteer Long-Term Care Ombuds, she regularly visited residents to make sure their needs were being met and [...]
Volunteers Needed: Long-Term Care Ombuds Training Scheduled for September Long-Term Care Ombuds are "resident-directed" advocates and empower residents to use their voice to ask for what they feel they deserve. Ombuds are often the "voice" for a resident who chooses not to represent themselves, or is unable to speak for themselves. Being a Long-Term Care [...]
At 48 years old, Tracie is younger than most people imagine when they think of someone in a long-term care facility. However, people under age 64 represent about 37 percent of those needing long-term care.* Two years ago, Tracie suddenly had a stroke after finding her father who had just passed away. She was immediately [...]
The elderly have always held a special place in Joanne Chan's heart. She's put this compassion to good use by volunteering for the Washington State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) operated through Multi-Service Center. For the last three years, Joanne has visited two local long-term care facilities on a weekly basis. She talks with residents [...]
