DuPage County, Illinois is Looking for 10-15 Volunteers for their Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
By nursing-home-lawyer | May 30, 2007
If you live in or near DuPage County, Illinois is looking for some volunteers to make visits to area nursing homes. Volunteers are assigned to a nursing home and are required to visit at least once a month. An informational meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in Room 3-500B at the Knuepfer Administration Building, 421 County Farm Rd. Wheaton. For more information, call 630-407-6489.
LONG TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM | Chicago Tribune
Sue Hriljac visits a nursing home at least once a month, but officials do not know when to expect her. She stops in unannounced to see residents who want to chat with her and tours the home.“First, I just walk through and make sure it is clean, it smells good, theres no clutter in the hallway,” said Hriljac, a volunteer for DuPage County’s Long Term Care Ombudsman Program.
She also looks for other signs that residents, some of whom are undergoing rehabilitation, are being treated well.
“I look to see how long they have to wait for [rehab] treatment, whether staff is wearing identification, and whether they knock before they go into a persons room,” she said.
For people who may be too frail to advocate for their own care, Hriljac is their eyes, ears and voice.
“I’m looking at quality of life and to be sure they’re treated with dignity,” she said.
Hriljac, who is retired and lives in Darien, worked as a nurse and later as an attorney specializing in elder law.
Such specialized knowledge as Hriljacs is not required to be an advocate, however, said Marla Fronczak, volunteer coordinator for DuPage County Senior Services.
The program needs between 10 to 15 additional volunteers who will receive a one-day training course as well as multiple supervised training visits to a nursing home.
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Topics: DuPage County Long Term Care |
