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Volunteer Ombudsman Program in need of more volunteers

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

Lew Robinson chats with St Elizabeth Nursing Home resident Wally Clark. Robinson serves voluntarily as an ombudsman at St. Elizabeth's, helping residents and their families.

JANESVILLE — Lew Robinson knows the frustration that can come with a loved one living in a nursing home.

“The family member suffers with the resident,” the 84-year-old Janesville man said.

Robinson recalled sharing questions and concerns with administrators at his mother’s long-term care facility in the 1960s.

There was no follow-up.

So when Robinson saw an opportunity to help nursing home patients and their families, he signed up to volunteer with the Ombudsman Program offered by the Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long Term Care. After passing a background check and attending a day of training in Madison, he made a four-year commitment to the program.

Robinson wishes he and his mother would have had access to such a program in the 1960s.

The program trains volunteers to advocate for frail, older people, said Julia Pierstorff, ombudsman volunteer coordinator.

As a volunteer, Robinson makes unannounced visits each week to St. Elizabeth Nursing Home in Janesville, where he:

-- Listens to and talks with residents.

-- Encourages residents and family members to speak up.

-- Voices concerns for residents who cannot speak for themselves.

-- Takes note of conditions and daily activities.

-- Meets with new residents and their families to explain ombudsman program services.

-- Acts as the “eyes and ears” of the regional ombudsman.

-- Helps residents and family members resolve concerns within the facility.

Robinson recalled a female resident who was visited regularly by her family but confided to him that she was having trouble sleeping at night, was having nightmares and wanted to commit suicide.

He approached the director of nursing, who consulted with the night nurse. They contacted the woman’s doctor, who changed her medications and over time, the situation improved.

Robinson is one of four volunteer ombudsmen in Rock County, where the program serves eight nursing homes.

“We have openings at three of the nursing homes and ideally would love to have two volunteers at most facilities,” Pierstorff said.

“We seek folks who want to make a positive difference, have a sense of compassion, want to listen, be an observer and advocate for the residents,” she said.

Robinson meets with residents in common areas of the 43-bed skilled-care facility or visits with them in their private rooms. He asks how they are doing and if they have any concerns about food, staff and call-light response times, for example, he said.

“We’re wanting to know if their needs are being met and how we can empower them. Sometimes, residents just want to have a listening ear,” Pierstorff said.

Volunteers can’t share anything discussed without the permission of the resident, she said.

Robinson explained the importance of his volunteerism.

“Many people feel intimidated talking to staff, where an outsider is more neutral, and we have the time to be attentive. You take what they say at face value, even though sometimes it’s necessary to seek clarification while communicating with staff,’’ he said.

Pierstorff said residents and their family members don’t always speak up because “they often feel misinformed and frightened. They also don’t always know their rights.”

Residents of any licensed Wisconsin long-term care facility have rights guaranteed by state and federal laws, she said.

And that’s where the role of the volunteer ombudsman comes in.

“We’re not there to be the police,” Pierstorff said. “We’re there to make the best living situation for the residents.’’