ARISE has overseen an advocacy program, known as the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, in Cayuga County for the past few years and has been selected to coordinate the program in three additional counties. ARISE is now operating the program in Onondaga, Cortland, Oswego, and Cayuga counties, which encompasses Region 10. ARISE is seeking volunteers who want to be part of this enriching effort and is offering a free training course.
The purpose of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is to protect the health, safety, welfare, and civil rights of people living in nursing homes and adult care facilities. Certified Ombudsmen in the program are trained and certified volunteers who advocate for residents’ rights and ensure that their complaints are resolved to support a higher quality of life.
Long-Term Care Ombudsmen must complete a free training course to become certified. This course will give them all of the tools they need to be able to advocate for the residents properly.
ARISE will offer the free Ombudsman training course for interested volunteers on September 6th, 8th, 9th and 13th. The training will be hosted by Regional Long-Term Care Ombudsman Coordinator Jeffrey Parker. People interested in learning more about this program or the training should contact Jeffrey Parker at (315) 671-5108 or jparker@ariseinc.org.
Jeffrey Parker has worked for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program for nine years as a program coordinator in the Mohawk Valley. Prior to that he worked for several years as a volunteer coordinator for Literacy Volunteers of America, and also as a field researcher for the Hebrew Home for the Aged in Riverdale, NY where he worked extensively in Skilled Nursing Facilities throughout Central NY conducting research on Aging and Dementia Care.