Thomas
Kahler, long-term care ombudsman with East Tennessee Human Resources
Agency (ETHRA), will discuss issues surrounding this topic at 10 a.m.
Wednesday, April 18, at Everett Senior Center in Maryville as well as
other information, such as help provided with Medicare/Tenncare,
admissions, medications, abuse, transfers, privacy, food, care,
discharge and activities. The program is hosted by Blount County
ElderWatch.
Kahler, who was
named District 2 long-term care ombudsman July 1, 2017, said, “I am an
advocate for residents and residents’ rights in nursing facilities,
assisted living facilities and residential homes for the aged – licensed
care facilities – in 16 counties. There are 128 of them in the 16
counties.”
These 128 facilities house more than
11,000 residents. An average of 100 or more complaints, concerns or
consultations are received per month. These are discovered directly from
visits to the facilities, calls from a concerned resident, family
member or other responsible party, or from individuals reporting
anonymously through various organizations.
Human dignity
“Primarily,
I work to identify issues or complaints that residents may have,”
Kahler said. “I investigate and work to resolve those complaints with
the resident, with their consent, to approach the facility, the staff,
and work through problems, or if the resident needs me to be their
advocate, I will speak for them directly. My objective is to ensure they
have the highest quality of care, which I feel equates into a quality
of life and just basic human dignity.”
His
duties also include acting on behalf of residents to ensure their stay
is as pleasant and home-like as possible and providing assistance to
family and resident councils to enable them to advocate for change.
With
such a large district to serve, Kahler is charged with recruiting,
training and certifying volunteer ombudsmen. “These are people in the
community who have an interest in serving as a volunteer at local
nursing facilities. The benefit of that is that they can spend a little
more time in a facility than I can physically manage,” he said.
Kahler
also works with other agencies, including the Department of Health,
Department of Human Services, Adult Protective Services, Department of
Mental Health and Mental Retardation, and law enforcement to ensure that
residents are protected and receive the best possible care.
Cases
Kahler’s presentation will include a
wealth of information about the ombudsman program, how it arose, who is
eligible to receive the services, details of services offered and
upcoming legislation to address the needs of older Americans. He will
also speak about elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation, what
these may entail, how to recognize red flags and how to prevent your
loved one from becoming a victim.
“Tennessee
is a mandatory reporting state,” he said. “Both males and females are
affected — there is no one typical victim. It can affect anyone in a
long-term care facility. It can seem somewhat benign or it can be very
egregious.”
Kahler gave
examples of some of the issues he has helped residents resolve, from
severe cases of abuse and neglect to making sure they are bathed
regularly, receive assistance in eating, and are free of restraints,
both physical and chemical. In one case, he was able to speak with staff
and administrators at a facility and work out a solution for a resident
whose room was at the end of a hall, who told him her food was
delivered last and was always cold.
“It’s always something different,” he said.
If
a resident or someone concerned with the resident’s welfare has a
question or sees a problem, Kahler urges them to contact him. “I will
work to resolve issues in the best way we can,” he said.
Full Article & Source:
Ombudsman program gives protection to vulnerable adults
1 comment:
I believe these people are overworked and try to do the best they can, but there's just too much.
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