Office for the Aging is currently recruiting for the Long Term Care Ombudsman program.
An ombudsman is a state-certified volunteer who visits a nursing home or adult home to be a confidant and spokesperson for the residents and their families. The ombudsman is not an employee of the home, but rather a state-certified volunteer.
The purpose of the ombudsman program is to improve the quality of life of residents by establishing a link between the resident and the community to reduce the resident's feeling of isolation, and ombudsman receive, investigate and resolve residents' problems and complaints in a discrete and confidential manner.
An ombudsman receives 36 hours of training and is provided official identification for admission to the nursing or adult home. Ongoing peer support and in-service training sessions are also provided to ensure a volunteer's competency in fulfilling this unique volunteer endeavor.
The residents of Chautauqua County need advocates. Please consider becoming an ombudsman volunteer.
The next certification training to be held in Mayville will be starting in September. Please contact Jennifer Ellman at Office for the Aging at 753-4781 for more information. The deadline for applicants is Aug.31.