When the time comes for someone to need long term care, it is typically because they are unable to perform some daily tasks on their own. Bathing, dressing, cooking, food preparation, and getting around with ease are some of the activities that people are likely to need help with when they are in a long term care setting.
Nursing Homes
For those individuals who need more supervised care, nursing homes are often the choice. Medical assistance is provided more readily at nursing homes, so the patients tend to be more incapacitated, either mentally or physically, than those living at assisted living facilities or receiving long term care at home.
This unique situation of need leads to a great deal of vulnerability for these seniors receiving care. Many whom do not have family or whose family lives across the country spend their days without someone checking in on them to be sure everything is alright. Unfortunately, this leaves many opportunities open for neglect and sometimes even elder abuse.
In order to reduce elder abuse and nursing home neglect as much as possible, programs have been created that designate advocates for nursing home residents who might otherwise be unable to speak up for themselves.
Ombudsman
The Long Term Care Ombudsman program was started in 1978 and provide advocates for nursing home residents. These ombudsman volunteers spend time in long term care facilities working with patients to best understand their situations and needs.
The volunteers understand what works best for nursing home patients and help advocate for quality care and life in long term care settings.
Ombudsmans are responsible for identifying, investigating, and resolving any complaints made in nursing homes. This means they are often the people that nursing home residents rely on in a time of need, when they feel they have no one else. This program is invaluable to those elderly residents who might otherwise be without a voice in the situation.
Texas Program
The Texas long term care ombudsman program is part of the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services.
The Texas Long Term Care Partnership Plan helps provide Texans with long term care insurance that is tax-deductible and qualifies for a Medicaid spend down waiver should you ever exhaust your long term care policy.
Plan ahead for the future and the possibility that you might need care at home or in a nursing home one day. Read more about long term care in Texas.