The food's cold! Can you help?

When I open the door of the assisted living facility, everyone at the dining tables turns to see who it is. As a new ombudsman, I’m assigned to this facility. I see the curiosity on their faces as they stop eating and look me over. “Who are you?” one elderly lady asks. “I’m an ombudsman,” I answer. “Do you know what an ombudsman is?”

“I do,” one man responds. “You help people if they have problems.”

“That’s right,” I say, “I’m a problem-solver for people living in long-term care, like here. I help solve problems you might not be able to solve on your own. I work for you. I’m your advocate.”

“That’s good,” one woman says. She looks around, waves me closer, and whispers, “Can I speak to you in my room?”

Ten minutes later we’re sitting in Irene’s room behind a closed door. She’s afraid to say anything that might cause “trouble.” Many residents are afraid they’ll have to leave the facility if they complain.

I tell Irene that anything she tells me is confidential unless she gives me permission to talk about it. I also tell her she will not have to move out because she complains. Complaining is actually a resident’s right.

“Alright, then,” she says angrily. “The food is cold by the time it’s put on the table. Several of us residents have complained, but nothing has changed. No one cares that we have to eat cold food. Can you help?”

I show up the next day at noon and watch the food preparation. All the plates are set on the cold kitchen counter and food is spooned onto the plates, assembly-line style, one thing at a time, meat first, then potatoes, then a vegetable. After all the plates are full, the server takes the plates, two at a time, to the table. Irene gives me a look that says, “So, what are you going to do now?”

I talk to the administrator who says they’ve always done it that way because it’s the most convenient way to prepare the plates. But…I point out, the food is cold by the time all the residents are served. I remind her the resident is the primary concern, not the convenience of the kitchen. She sighs and says she will talk to the cook about changing the way food is served.

Next time I arrive at noon, I’m greeted by smiling residents and a few waves. Apparently, the news has traveled that I had something to do with the hot food on their plates. Irene gives me a thumbs up and I know the problem has been solved.

The next ombudsman training is Sept. 13 through Oct. 25, every Tuesday for seven weeks. Join our team and make a difference in the lives of long term care residents. It may be one of the best things you ever do. Contact Jan Noyes, Area Agency on Aging, 667-3179, ext. 243 or jnoyes@aaani.org.