PRESS: Advocates for elderly

Each year at this time, I start recruiting volunteers for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. For you not familiar with the program, the LTC Ombudsmen are advocates for the vulnerable elders living in assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. We are the voices for those residents that don’t, won’t, or can’t speak for themselves.

The Press, particularly editor Mike Patrick, has been unfailingly supportive of our work by printing my articles. The articles are intended to touch the hearts of those, usually retired people, who are looking for a way to volunteer that makes a difference in the quality of life of the older Americans living in long-term care.

When I first started as the Volunteer Ombudsman Coordinator at the Area Agency on Aging, I tried all sorts of things to interest people in volunteering: a billboard (really bad idea), flyers, bookmarks, ads, speaking to organizations and churches … but with only minimal success. One day I said, “Why don’t I write an article and see what happens?”

Mike agreed to have the article printed and, WOW, what a difference! Now I write several articles starting in May, and each year we add new and well-trained volunteers to visit the facilities and advocate for the residents.

Thank you, Mike. You are very much appreciated!

This year’s training is Sept. 11 to Oct. 22, one day a week for seven weeks, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Area Agency on Aging in Coeur d’Alene. For more information, please contact me at 208-772-2352 or jnoyes@aaani.org.

JAN NOYES

Coeur d’Alene