Protecting the rights, safety and dignity of seniors in nursing homes is another mandate of the Area Agencies on Aging under the Older Americans Act. Nursing home Ombudsmen are professionally trained and certified advocates for seniors who visit nursing homes and nursing home residents in our area. Their task is to identify problems and/or potential problems and intervene to resolve those problems while they are small issues, before they become larger. The Ombudsmen work with the seniors, their families, and the nursing home to protect senior rights. If more serious problems are identified, they are reported to the Office of Long Term Care for investigation and correction.
With over 40 nursing homes in the 10 county region and the commitment to help seniors in nursing homes, the Ombudsman Program has grown to include a cadre of Volunteer Ombudsmen to assist in protecting these seniors' rights. Volunteer Ombudsmen go through a formal training program provided by the state Division of Aging and Adult Services and are certified to serve in this capacity. Each volunteer is asked to commit to spend a certain number of hours in nursing homes each week. Their task is to interact with the residents and the staff and to resolve small problems, reporting larger problems to the regional Ombudsman. If you or someone you know would like to volunteer for the Volunteer Ombudsman Program, please call the Area Agency on Aging office nearest you and ask to speak to the Ombudsman in Hot Springs 800-467-2170 or Russellville 800-467-2171.