As most of you know I was once a
Certified Ombudsman here is Oregon.
Because of my health problems I had to step down, but I thought I would
share this letter to the editor with you in case you might be interested. My daily post follows
Art :-)
To the Editor:
Bear with me a bit as we take a
look at how it would be to be confined to a small room.
You have little say in who the
person is that you share that room with.
You are dependent on your care takers to make sure you are safe; to make
sure you have food to eat, that you are able to use the restroom – when they are able to assist you – until then
you have to wait.
You may get out of your room to
eat in a dining hall. The food is bland,
you may not even be used to it or even like it, but that is all there is to
eat. Your dietary needs are met, but
since there may be over a hundred of you, they have to cook it for all of you,
and individual tastes are seldom considered.
You may have a period of time
for recreation, but then you once again go back to that small room, where you
spend most of your day.
You are alone, there are few, if
any, friends to visit with you, and your family may have abandoned you. You are confined to a small room – that is
your existence, every day for the rest of your life.
Sounds like a jail, doesn’t it?
But what I have just described in how
hundreds of people within our counties live their life, every, single, day. They are not in jail.
They are cared for by people in
facilities that strive to meet their every need, caring for and giving them
comfort.
They are our elderly or disabled
who reside in a facility because they can no longer care for themselves. This is their home, this is where they
live. This, is their existence, for,
the, rest, of, their, life.
There are laws, rules and
regulations that govern each of these facilities. In addition there are policies and procedures
that each facility has set up to care for the residents.
The facilities, that I am aware
of, in Hood River, Wasco and Sherman county do the best they can to insure the
proper care of their residents. I have
observed employees go out of their way, doing things on their own time, to
assist the residents and their special needs whenever possible.
But who the person the resident is can be lost in the crowd of others
who also have personal needs – some greater, some lessor, but all individuals;
individuals who once were active and self-sufficient adults.
Now, they are dependent on other
people – strangers - for their well-being.
That is their life. What can you do to make it better?
The State of Oregon has a
mandate to insure that every resident of every facility dealing with these
citizens is following the law.
Oregon Long-Term Care Ombudsman,
overseeing the facilities has seven full-time Deputy Long-Term Care Ombudsmen
employees who advocate for residents, promote their welfare and protect their
rights.
These men and women are
responsible for more than 42,000 residents throughout Oregon. Over 1000 reside in Wasco, Hood River and
Sherman county.
Obviously those seven people
cannot begin to perform this function on their own. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman program is
designed to rely on volunteers, Certified Ombudsmen, in every area to insure the
proper care is being given.
Currently there are no
volunteers in Wasco, Hood River and Sherman County. I used to be one, it was a satisfying and
rewarding position, unfortunately, I have medical issues that have caused me to
step down.
It isn’t for everyone – it can
be trying and heart wrenching. Some
residents are difficult; others are unable to communicate, while others will
reject assistance in fear of retribution from an employee.
It can also be very rewarding as
a person’s life becomes a little easier; even a small step makes a big
difference in the resident’s life.
A volunteer undergoes a
background check to insure they are competent to do the work and is
trustworthy. They come from all walks of
life; their experiences help them become good advocates.
They are given five (5) days
training to orient them to the laws and what their role as an Ombudsman is – but
they are not left alone, they have almost instant access to the full-time staff
assigned to the area and will be given guidance as needed.
These elderly citizens are not
faceless people, warehoused in a facility; these facilities are occupied by our
parents, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, neighbors – and, one day, maybe one
of us. We want to insure the facilities are doing the
very best they can for our loved ones AND for those that may have been forgotten
by their families and the rest of society.
An Ombudsman is an advocate for
the residents. He/she is not a part of
the facility’s team – and can often be at odds with the facility or policies
while advocating for the resident.
I encourage you to look into the
program, talk to an Ombudsman to see if you might want to be involved, or give
me a call and I will be glad to share my experiences with you.
The Ombudsman is independent;
with the sole responsibility of making sure that each resident is properly cared
for and is living in a safe and secure environment.
Isn’t that what you want for
your family member?
Romans
1:16
For I
am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the
Greek.
Christians
are coming more and more under fire for their stand on many Biblical principles
and issues.
The
world wants us to cave into their demands that we honor their interpretation of
what is right and what is wrong. They
want us to recant God’s Word for theirs.
They
are employing many tactics to further their views. They try and embarrass us, they are passing
laws that deliberately conflict with God’s Word and are using those laws to try
and shut Christians up.
They
are now doing in this country what our brothers and sisters in Christ have
endured for generations, using the power of the law to take away the God given
rights of Christians. They are taking
away their livelihoods, threatening to take their homes and savings and if they
still don’t comply threatening to place them in jail.
They
want Churches to teach only what they deem is politically correct and are
looking to punish any that do not agree with them. Their interpretation of worship is in a
building, but not in the way we live our lives outside the building.
They
have no comprehension of the danger they have place this country in by
proclaiming their right to sin and then to destroy anyone who stands in their
way.
God
will only allow so much debauchery before He decides it is enough. I am sure our brethren around the world have
felt that time should have come earlier, and we can recognize their pains and
desires – many of us are just now truly beginning to comprehend what they have
are going through.
WE
must be prepared to stand with Paul For I am
not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation
to every one that believeth;
But there will be a cost, and that
too we must be prepared for, but we do not stand alone.
Psalm 18:30-32
As for God, his way is
perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a
buckler to all those that trust in him.
31 For who is God save the
Lord? or who is a rock save
our God?
32 It is God that girdeth
me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
God has warned us in His Word that
we will face such condemnation; has warned us that others will strive to twist
His Words and even deny His Words. We
must be sure that we do not succumb to these lies of satan.
Paul knew how sly satan would be
when he left the flocks:
Acts 20:29-31 For I know this,
that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing
the flock.
30 Also of your own selves
shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after
them.
31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by
the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with
tears.
We too must watch and remember
what God’s Word says, and we also must tell others of God’s saving Grace. His Word is true and can bring people to
their knees as the Holy Spirit reinforces those Words in people’s hearts.
We must understand what it means
when someone leaves or refused God’s Grace.
We must understand the danger in which false teachers place the souls of
mankind – we must weep for them and pray that the Holy Spirit will touch them
and they will accept Jesus as God has commanded.
Paul was so concerned he cried
for them; when was the last time we cried for the salvation of others?
Later, Art :-)
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