ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 17, 1996 TAG: 9612170039
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: ROBERT FREIS STAFF WRITER
An increasing number of complaints involving adult care facilities and nursing homes in the New River Valley has influenced advocacy groups for the elderly to hire an investigator.
The "ombudsman," to be based at the New River Valley's Area Agency on Aging office in Pulaski, will be assigned broad responsibility to look into problems involving long-term health care facilities, their residents and staff.
Although the ombudsman will not have the power to bring charges involving criminal misconduct or violation of licensing regulations, he or she will work with local agencies that can.
"There had been an increase in complaints from nursing homes in that area [the New River Valley]," said Kevin McCullough of the Roanoke-area Agency on Aging.
The Roanoke and New River Valley agencies will jointly supervise the program.
A local official stressed that the new ombudsman will be an educator and mediator, also.
"I don't see this as just being problem-based. I see this as prevention and education," said Tina King, director of the New River Valley Agency on Aging.
Stricter regulations for long-term care and growing numbers of elderly citizens are intensifying stresses on an overburdened system, McCullough said.
He called the ombudsman an "advocate for quality care."
The Roanoke organization has been successfully operating the ombudsman program for some time, King said. The New River Valley and Roanoke agencies jointly obtained a $30,000, two-year grant from the state to fund the 30-hour per week position.
This is the first time a long-term care ombudsman will be assigned to the New River Valley. "We see this as a need," King said.
However, operators of adult care facilities or nursing homes should not consider the ombudsman an adversary, she added.
"We want to start on a positive note, to aid in the education of facilities and their staffs. We want to head off problems," King said.
King and McCullough said a hiring search is on to fill the position immediately.
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