www.servingourseniors.org
11
800-564-1856 419-624-1856
Advocates for Residents
Living in Nursing Homes Needed
By giving four hours a month you could be a voice
for the powerless. The Regional Long-Term Care
Ombudsman Program with
A
dvocates for
B
asic
L
egal
E
quality, Inc.
(ABLE)
is seeking volunteers who want to
make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. The
volunteers are called “Long-Term Care Associates” and
they are essential to ABLE’s ability to stand up for the
rights of those who live in nursing homes.
Long-Term Care Associates are certifed by the State of
Ohio following a 12-hour initial training and background
check. The purpose of the training is to help volunteers
gain the knowledge they need to become effective
advocates. Once certifed, volunteers are assigned to
visit a specifc facility. Your regular presence empowers
those who live there by helping to ensure their rights are
respected and quality care is given.
Approximately 1,900 individuals call an Erie County
long-term care facility home. Since January 1, 2014
ABLE’s Ombudsman Program received and investigated
66 complaints. Ombudsman staff verifed and worked to
resolve allegations of abuse, pressure sores, involuntary
discharges, medication issues, and privacy concerns.
If you are interested in becoming a Certifed Long-Term
Care Associate, please contact me, Juanita Brittan, Long-
Term Care Ombudsman Program, Volunteer Coordinator
419-259-2891 or 1-800-542-1874. (E-mail volunteers@
ablelaw.org.) Volunteers must be at least 18 years old
and currently not employed as a long-term care provider.
ABLE is a non-proft law frm that provides free civil legal
assistance to low-income individuals and groups in a
32-county area of northwest and west central Ohio. ABLE
is affliated with Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc.
By Juanita Brittan, Volunteer Coordinator, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc.
Pictured above are volunteers from 2010 when ABLE received the Presidential
Award from the Area Office on Aging of NW Ohio.