Summer is full of outdoor sports and events, vacations and other exciting activities. As the end of summer approaches ever so quickly, I want to encourage you to take some time to visit with a friend, family member or loved one in a care facility. As an Ombudsman, I find myself in various care facilities each week and residents will often tell me they have family and friends, but they don’t visit. They give me a variety of reasons why no one comes to visit them such as they are busy with their own lives, careers, children and grandchildren, that they just don’t have the time for one reason or another. We have all been there at some point throughout our lives, chasing dreams, good times, then one day something happens that stops us in our tracks, and we are left with feelings of guilt and regret because there is no more time to do the things we put off until tomorrow. I urge you to drop by for a visit or even just pick up the phone and call! Call the facility and ask them to assist you with getting in contact with your friend or loved one. Residents have the right to access the telephone in a private space within the facility if they do not own a cell phone of their own. Your friendly hello and smiling face could make a world of difference in the lives of so many!60% of all nursing home residents never have a visitor. Ombudsman Volunteers fill this need by visiting residents and advocating for their rights. If you are interested in becoming an Ombudsman Volunteer, please contact Megan Kirby or Steve Torres, Ombudsman Supervisors at the Long-Term Care Authority of Enid Area Agency on Aging by phone at (580)-237-2236 or stop by our office at 202 W. Broadway, Enid, Oklahoma 73701.
