OMBUDSMEN LEND HAND AT NURSING HOMES

The word ombudsman means one who speaks on behalf of another, and that is exactly what is happening in nursing homes across the state.

Volunteers with the Missouri Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program are being appointed to nursing homes to make sure that residents have and keep their rights.

Gov. John Ashcroft has proclaimed this week, Sept. 29 to Oct. 5, as Long-Term Care Facility Residents Rights Week to highlight the importance of the rights of the people who reside in nursing and residential care facilities.

The ombudsman program is a federally mandated program authorized under a 1978 amendment to the Older American Act.

Wilma Stanford is the director of the ombudsman program for the Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging. "The ombudsman visit each resident and develop a trust," said Stanford. "They also try to observe the residents to see if they're content and comfortable.

"Ombudsmen are resident advocates," said Stanford. "They talk and get to know the residents. If there are problems, they act as a liaison between the resident and the facility to get the problem solved."

Stanford said ombudsmen deal with such problems as a lost item of clothing, roommate conflicts or complaints about the food.

"Major problems are rare," said Stanford, "but it does happen on occasion." She said major problems would include abuse, neglect or some family problems.

Stanford said that the program always needs more volunteers. To be a volunteer, a person must be over 21 years of age, commit to 18 hours of training before becoming a volunteer and go through additional training during the time they are a volunteer. Stanford said volunteers must work as ombudsmen at least four hours a week.

Marion Labusohr volunteers as an ombudsman at Cape La Croix nursing home. She has been an ombudsman for over five years. She said she volunteers because she feels there is a need for it and she enjoys it.

Labusohr said she likes working with the nursing home residents. "They need someone to stand in the middle, someone who can speak for someone who can't speak for themselves," said Labusohr.

"I like the satisfaction of being there to help people and look out for their needs," she said. "Listening is the biggest part of my job."

Shannon Kitchen has been the ombudsman at Fountainbleau Lodge for a year. He said he volunteers because he enjoys doing things for the elderly.

"I like meeting different people of different ages," he said. "You can learn a lot from them about life."

Kitchen said he likes making sure that residents' rights are not being abused. "I like having a smile, hug or handshake for them," he said.

Kitchen said he wishes he had more time to spend with the residents.

Janey Hann has been a volunteer ombudsman at Cape Girardeau Nursing Center for over a year. "I just love elderly people and I enjoy being with them," she said.

Hann said that older people are her favorite kind of people. "They really are a lot of fun to be around," she said. "I've learned from these people that the most important thing in life is to love and be kind to other people.

"Sometimes it's sad," she said. "I wish I could do more for them. These residents give me so much more than I give them."

Hann said that the residents opened up to her faster than she thought they would. "They can sense that I'm there because I want to be, not out of a sense of duty," she said.

"The hardest thing is to get the residents to understand the staff at the nursing home is there to help them," Hann said.

"They also think they are not supposed to complain," she said, "but we want to hear what is bothering them so we can fix it."

The administrator at Cape Girardeau Nursing Center, Lori Bainter, praised the ombudsman program. "It gives our residents a special friend," Bainter said, "someone totally objective, who can come and talk to our residents."

Some of the residents at the Cape Girardeau Nursing Center agree that having an ombudsman is beneficial.

"Janey tells the administrators things we don't want to tell them," said Rufus Sides, a resident and president of the resident council. "She can get to them faster than we can and it seems to soak in better."

Resident Daisy Ravenstein Hobbs said Hann comes around to visit and talk. "My complaints are made to Janey," Hobbs said. "She knows more about me than I know about myself."

Susie Owens, a resident, said that Hann brings her doggie bags with pizza and ham sandwiches. Owens said the food at the center "isn't my cup of tea."

"I think the ombudsman program adds to the nursing home," said Owens. "Janey is a real nice addition."

People interested in volunteering for the ombudsman program can call Stanford at 335-3331.