Helping You Navigate Caregiver Decisions
One of the most important tasks a caregiver may face is helping a loved one choose where to receive long-term care services if living at home is no longer an option.
Pro Seniors’ Ombudsman Program Director, Eric Carpenter says, “Individuals and families often find themselves having to make this choice almost blindly and often under immense stress. I’ve come across countless families and long-term care residents who lacked resources to get reliable, unbiased information about available long-term care options for their loved one, and are now unhappy with their care. They don’t have to navigate these decisions alone, but many people are unaware of the help we offer.”
Pro Seniors’ Ombudsman program offers a free service called Selection Assistance for prospective residents and their families as a resource to prepare for this complex and emotional decision process.
Ombudsman Carolyn knows about this firsthand.
Carolyn says, “My first experience with an ombudsman occurred when my mother was receiving poor-quality care in a skilled nursing facility. Ombudsman Marvin Wilson answered my phone call and gave me the information and confidence I needed to move her to another facility. He suggested questions to ask, explained what to expect at a care plan meeting, discussed facility options, and encouraged me to visit each one to determine the best fit.”
That experience showed Carolyn how essential ombudsman services are. She describes feeling desperate and anxious, but Marvin calmly explained the options in plain language and guided her through an unfamiliar process. Carolyn remarks, “Later, I shared what I had learned with other families.”
Inspired to help others, I became a volunteer ombudsman and later served with the program through AmeriCorps, advocating for residents directly. After completing my AmeriCorps service, I joined Pro Seniors as a full-time ombudsman, where I continue to inform and empower others.
If you or a loved one are thinking about, planning for, or facing the need to choose a long-term care facility, or if you are a resident in a long-term care facility and would like to explore other long-term care options, please call our Ombudsman helpline at 513-458-5518.
A member of our Ombudsman team – often Carolyn – will take the time to listen to needs and preferences, explain what to expect from the admission process and related matters, and help you understand your options based on factual information. In addition to helping you identify meaningful criteria to consider, the Ombudsman will help you understand what the ratings and inspection results mean related to the individual’s care needs.
If you live outside our southwest Ohio region (Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, and Warren counties), you can locate the Long-Term Care Ombudsman for your region here to ask for selection assistance.
