From Nancy Healey:
I have written many times about volunteering as a Long-Term Care Ombudsman for the past sixteen years. In 1978 Congress amended the Older Americans Act to establish long term care Ombudsman (a Swedish word that means “advocate”) to serve the frail vulnerable residents in long-term care facilities. I have learned how critical having an advocate is through my volunteering because sadly so many people in facilities have no visitors and no advocates, but this really hit home for me recently.
I had a wonderful 18-day trip to Japan in October. When I returned. I was diagnosed with pneumonia and Cdif and spent 9 days in our community hospital. My daughter lives about an hour from me and my son lives across the country. They both came the day I was admitted and one or both of them were there every day. My care was very good but knowing my family was there particularly when I was first admitted was so important. It is hard to overestimate the positive effect on my recovery. One of my doctors reminded me how fortunate I was to have family support because there are so many people who do not.
I was pretty sick when I was first admitted and really could not do anything for myself. Being helpless is not normal for me and having to ask for someone’s assistance for every tiny thing is very difficult. It is hard to even imagine being that dependent and realizing that you were going to have to wait a long time before anyone will come to help you. Sadly, this is not an uncommon situation in some care facilities today.
An article from NPR in April 2024 addresses the new staffing rules from Medicare and Medicaid Services and the many issues involved in implementing them. If you are a senior or have a senior in your life, reading this would be an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the many challenges in our long-term care facilities.
I personally know many seniors who have no family support. Forbes reports that over 14 million older adults live alone in the US. Years ago most people lived in close proximity to other family members who would be there when help was needed. Now that is not the norm, leaving many seniors alone and vulnerable.
Everyone does not have to belong to an organization like the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, but every one of us can look out for our neighbors and friends and step up when they need help or just a little support. A short visit or card can mean so much to a person in the hospital or care facility. Having visitors also lets the staff know that someone is watching out for you.
Thank you again to my family for their support and the time they spent with me at the hospital. I will always be grateful. There are a lot of people in our community who unselfishly spend their time in many ways helping those who at some point in their lives need help. I see them every day and am very grateful that they are living in my community.
Hi Nancy,
I am so sorry to hear about this difficult time you went through. I too am always telling friends and others how important it is to have an advocate to act on one’s behalf.
We can only hope that others have as wonderful family/friend support as you do.
With that said, I know what an incredible advocate you have been not only to the seniors you serve as an Ombudsman, but especially to your friends when they needed that extra voice.
Thank you for this informative article and all you do to not only educate seniors but also their families.
Please take care as you continue on your road to recovery.
Thanks, Lynn. I appreciate your kind words. You are one of the people in our community who advocates for others if they are friends, relatives or strangers. Glad you live where I live.
Thank you for this information and the wonderful work you do. Feel free to call me anytime you may need help. The links failed for me but I found the NPR article and it is frightening what they have to say.
Thanks, Susan. Any of us can go through a difficult period and just knowing you have people who support you can make all the difference.
Thank you so much for this important article. Before I retired 4 years ago, my last job was as a social worker at a long term care facility. What you say is so true. There are many who do not have family to visit them, so any visitor is such a welcome treat and so important to help in what can be a long series of lonely days. I was grateful for the ombudsman, and also felt compassion for how overwhelming their jobs could be. Thank you for all that you have done. I am so glad that you have family that loves and supports you. It makes all the difference in healing, as well.
Thanks, Jo. Spending some time in a hospital really makes you aware of how dependent you can become and how quickly this can happen to you. Knowing you have supporting people in your life can make so much difference during difficult times.