ENID, OK - Ombudsmen are advocates for residents living in long term care facilities. This includes nursing homes, residential care and assisted living facilities. Ombudsmen help to improve the quality of care available to these residents. They assist residents in resolving complaints and problems. These matters are kept confidential unless you give the ombudsman permission to share your concerns. Ombudsmen educate consumers and long-term care providers about residents’ rights and good care practices. They promote community involvement through volunteer opportunities by recruiting and supervising Ombudsman Volunteers. Ombudsmen Supervisors inform the public about services offered by nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. They provide information about residents’ rights, policy issues and legislation that affects seniors.
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Under the federal Older Americans Act, every state is required to have an Ombudsman Program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long-term care system. The Oklahoma Long Term Care Ombudsman Program is administered by the Aging Services Division of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.
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Currently, the Ombudsman Program is advocating for residents in a slightly different manner due to the Covid-19 Global Pandemic. Ombudsman Supervisors are taking calls and assisting residents via the telephone or through email. Until the time when visitation is allowed in long term care, the Ombudsman Program will continue to advocate for residents remotely.
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The local Ombudsman Office for Northern Oklahoma is housed at the Long Term Care Authority of Enid, Area Agency on Aging(AAA). Julie Torson and David Huff are the Ombudsman Supervisors at LTCA-Enid AAA. As Long Term Care Ombudsmen, Julie and David advocate for residents in nursing, assisted living and residential care facilities in Alfalfa, Blaine, Garfield, Grant, Kay, Kingfisher, Major and Noble counties. Their office is at the LTCA of Enid, Area Agency on Aging in Enid, Oklahoma.
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You can reach them at 580-237-2236. Julie Torson’s email address is jtorson@ltcaenid.org. David Huff’s email address is dhuff@ltcaenid.org. You can find more information about the Ombudsman Program and other services available to our aging population in Northern Oklahoma on the LTCA of Enid, AAA website, http://www.ltcaenid.org/
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Ombudsman Helping Seniors Remotely
