It has been a year now since my sister passed away. She had spent the last four months of her life being moved from one long term care/rehabilitation facility to another. It was during this period of time that our family became very aware and dependent on the Ombudsman program at Direction Home Akron Canton Area Agency on Aging.
The Older American Act of 1965 created the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program with the mission to provide a voice for residents of nursing homes and assisted living homes throughout the country. This is an advocacy program which is required by law to investigate, report on and help settle complaints about the quality of care in these facilities.
The Ombudsman educates consumers and their families about resident rights as well as empower how an individual receives care, and advocates for their own preferences.
We relied upon the program to educate us about the various facilities that my family was
considering by sharing information about recent complaints, surveys, and on-site visits to various establishments in our area.
Historically, the program was composed solely of volunteer advocates. Now there is a core group of regional paid staff, who work alongside the volunteers. It is this group of volunteers who are the eyes and ears in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
This program is extremely important if you are considering moving a family member or friend into a facility. Get in touch with the Long Term Care Ombudsman in your area (1-800-421-7277) and get information about the facility … more than just what their brochure wants you to know.
This information is also important to you if you are interested in becoming one of their volunteers, Ombudsman Associates. You would be making regular visits with residents of a particular facility, helping to be a voice as to what is happening to individuals on a day-to-day basis. To obtain more information, call 1-800-421-7277, and become involved in one of their upcoming training sessions.
I recently made a visit to the new Streetsboro Senior Center on Adalane Avenue (in the City Park down by some of the older schools). What a fantastic building. It was very open and welcoming, complementing their great staff.
The day I was there, the recreation staff and 45 area senior citizens were having a potluck picnic.
They were eating inside the facility, but they had a lovely patio with picnic tables overlooking a densely wooded area.
If a Streetsboro senior citizen wasn’t interested in participating in one of the activities sponsored by the center, they could come in and play pool in the billiard room, or come in and use the exercise equipment in the small gym.
To participate in the activities and the facility, Streetsboro seniors must pay a $10 yearly fee. The fee for non-residents is $20 a year. Because the program is part of the recreation department, it receives most of its funding from the Streetsboro Park and Recreation levy.
The building also houses the Streetsboro Recreation Department, the parent of the Senior
Center. Space is also available to be rented out to the community for showers, meetings, etc.
If you are a senior citizen in Streetsboro and you have not been to the new facility, you are missing out on a community gem. It is well worth the $10 membership fee to become involved with this program— especially with winter coming, and traditionally confining us to our homes.
I recently received an email from Rosemary Krupar telling me about a newly created Crestwood Community Center.
Since May, a group has been meeting on Wednesdays at the Mantua Lodge in Buchert Part (4810 E. High St.) in Mantua. They have hosted a potluck picnic and on Aug. 21, they hosted attorney Andrew Popp, who shared information about estate planning.
As I receive more information about this group I will share with you. I think that it is great that Mantua will once again have a gathering place with programs of interest to senior citizens.
If you want to get more immediate information about the Crestwood Community Center, you can contact Rosemary Krupar at [email protected].
Contact Sally Kelly with your senior news at 330-687-9501 or [email protected]
