articles about caring for our elderly.....

"Senior Advocate: Ombudsmen Have Crucial Role in Elder Care"
By — Betty Berry, Ventura County Star

Q: I recently visited someone in a nursing facility and noticed a poster providing contact information for the ombudsman. I don’t know what an ombudsman does and what, if any, organization is involved.
A: The program you are asking about is the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. It is a nationwide nonprofit organization that helps ensure quality care for residents of skilled nursing and assisted-living care facilities.
Go to our BLOG to read the full article

Governor's Severe Cuts to Ombudsman Program Expose Elders to Abuse and Neglect (Press Release)
Authors: Pat McGinnis, Executive Director, CANHR and Michael Connors, Advocate, CANHR
Date: October 10, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO - - With the stroke of his pen, Governor Schwarzenegger has imperiled 250,000 nursing home and assisted living residents by eliminating all state funding for California's long term care ombudsman program.

In a little publicized line item veto on September 23, 2008, the Governor cut $3.8 million (100 percent of California state funds), which represents about half of all funding for ombudsman services.
Read full article - PDF

BEING SENIOR OMBUDSMAN
Author:Ventura County Supervisor, Linda Parks
Date: June 2007

BEING SENIOR OMBUDSMAN: As our population ages, society is turning more of its attention to meeting the growing needs of our senior population. Not only are more people than ever becoming seniors, people are also living longer.
Read full article - pdf

CRIME PREVENTION HANDBOOK FOR SENIORS
Author:Ventura County District Attorney

PREVENTING AND REPORTING ELDER ABUSE: Do not be a victim. Do not let others be victims. It is very important for the elderly, their family members and friends to be part of the solution to the problem of elder abuse.
Go to website

 

Meet the board of directors

Jim Stueck, Chair, Board of Directors Jim Stueck has served on the Board of Directors for 8 years, formerly as board chair – three terms - and currently as the agency’s community education representative. Jim, a native Californian, received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. For the past 30 years Jim has worked as a Financial Service Representative. His community involvement includes Board Member and Founding Member of Moorpark Boys and Girls Club; President of the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce; Member and currently President of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors – San Fernando Valley. He is active in his church and currently serves as President of the Board of Trustees of Presbytery of Santa Barbara. Jim and his wife Mickey have lived in Moorpark for the past 28 years and have an adult son, great daughter in law and two amazing grandchildren. Jim says, “Being part of the Ombudsman Program has brought me great satisfaction in knowing I am supporting a work that is vitally important for the care and well being of our elderly in long term care. The program has been an incredible repository of knowledge and information for me and what I have learned has made me much more capable and confident in how to help my own aging parents”.

Becky Duarte, Vice Chair, Board of Directors Becky Duarte began her real estate career in Dallas, Texas in the late 70's. Marrying a California native led to her relocation to California where soon afterward she started her own real estate company - Premier Options in Camarillo. Becky's love and passion for the elderly culminated from the experience of needing to advocate for her own mother as she dealt with the health conditions that impacted her final years. Becky says that being on the Board of Directors the Long Term Care Services Ombudsman Program allows her to continue her advocacy for seniors and give back to them for all they have given to us and our world. Becky has served on the board since 2007.

Jacqueline Lacombe, Secretary, Board of Directors Jackie has served on the Board of Directors since January, 2008. A native of Michigan, Jackie has lived in Old Agoura for the last 25 years. She attended Moorpark College and CSU Channel Islands as a Psychology Major with an emphasis in Gerontology and is employed by Amgen. Jackie has long been an advocate of the elderly, serving as a volunteer for Westlake Village Meals on Wheels for 15 years.

Dana Kearney, Treasurer, Board of Directors Dana Kearney Treasurer has served on the Board of Directors for 9 years, formerly as board chair – two terms - and currently as treasurer. A CPA for 29 years, Dana brings a wealth of expertise in her role. She is a partner in the CPA firm of Bratton, McMorrow, and Kearney, and is Chief Financial Officer in an oil and gas venture. She is actively involved in the financial stewardship of the agency, and over the years has provided hundreds of hours of professional pro bono services. She and her husband, Pat, live in Ventura and have 5 children. Dana says, “Being able to help create a better life for our seniors in long term care through the work of the Ombudsman Program brings me great personal satisfaction and joy. This work is a gift to me.”

Erbie Daw Erbie has served on our Board of Directors for 8 years. He has lived in Ventura County for over 40 years and is owner of Damar Construction in Ventura. He and his wife Nancy have two married sons, and three grandchildren. When Erbie isn’t working or helping out with agency events, he loves to travel and drive around in his new corvette.

Lucas Johnston Lucas Johnston is a Ventura County native who has been with Affinity Bank for 5 years. He began work at the Bank as the Manager of Training and Development, and after 2 years transitioned to manage the Camarillo Branch location. Lucas currently works at the Affinity Bank corporate office where he manages the Downtown Branch. In addition to his activities with the Bank, he is also heavily involved in service throughout the county. He and his wife Rhonda are active with various service organizations and Lucas currently is a board member for the Downtown Ventura Organization. Lucas has served in the Board of Directors for 2 years. Lucas is a graduate of California Lutheran University as well as America’s Community Banker’s National School of Banking.

Roberto Del Frate Roberto has served on the Board of Directors since 2004. Roberto was born and raised in San Francisco, and moved to Simi Valley in 1997. He has been married to Victoria for 8 years. Roberto’s background ranges from the welding trades to sales training to now, where he is happiest, as a successful Realtor in Westlake Village. His areas of interest include fishing, hiking, dirt biking, archery and spending time with his family.

contact information

Long-Term Care Services of Ventura County, Inc.
2021 Sperry Avenue, Sutie 35
Ventura, CA 93003
Office fax number: (805) 658-8540
Telephone (805) 656-1986

URL: www.OmbudsmanVentura.org

See A Map

Directions:
From 101 exit going south onto Victoria Avenue. Turn right on Valentine and left onto Sperry Avenue. Turn right into the third driveway.

All services are free and confidential
Services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

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Sylvia Taylor Stein, Executive Director
staylor@ombudsmanventura.org

Kathy Terry, Field Services Coordinator
kterry@ombudsmanventura.org

Cassandra Sproule, Complaint Resolution Coordinator
complaint.res@ombudsmanventura.org

Vicky Odle Administrative Assistant
admin@ombudsmanventura.org

History of the ventura county ombudsman.....

Two members of the National Council of Jewish Women, Bee Ellisman and Shirley Radding, began the Ombudsman Program in Ventura County in 1981. Based on the founding principle that elderly persons unable to care for themselves are entitled to dependable and consistent care, the Ombudsman’s (an old Swedish word meaning advocate) mission is to assure the highest quality of life and care possible for the frail elderly in long term care.

With a small grant to get started, the founders, one staff member, and two volunteers began monitoring the 12 nursing facilities in Ventura County and advocating for decent care and quality of life for their 1,482 elderly residents. In the early 80’s, long-term care was a frustrating and saddening experience for the frail elderly who required it, and they desperately needed an advocate. In 1988 the founders incorporated Long Term Care Services of Ventura County, Inc., a 501 (C) (3) non-profit charitable corporation to administer the program. In 1991 the Ventura County Ombudsman program was named a model program by the State of California for its outstanding efforts on behalf of institutionalized elderly.

Bee Ellisman, Sylvia Taylor Stein and Shirley Radding

What makes Ventura County’s program so outstanding (besides its many support services) is its facility visitation plan. The Federal mandate governing the Ombudsman program nationwide requires only one annual visit per facility, however, the founders, foreseeing the built-in failure in such a deficient model, set a mandate for Ventura County that stipulated all skilled nursing facilities would be monitored a minimum of once a week and all assisted living facilities a minimum of once a month. This mandate continues today as four staff and 50 state certified ombudsman volunteers actively advocate for decent care and quality of life for 8,500 frail elderly in Ventura County’s 234 long term care facilities – 60% of whom have no family or friends to watch out for them or visit them and are too fearful, vulnerable or frail to represent themselves.

Above information from website of-
volunteerventuracounty.org

 

IN THE Media

• VENTURA COUNTY STAR
"Care found in county reaches both extremes"
By — Michael Collins
Tuesday, December 1, 2009

A third of the nursing homes in Ventura County received low scores on the federal government’s rating system that was set up to show which facilities are doing a good or poor job providing care.
Go to our BLOG to read the full news article

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• VENTURA COUNTY STAR
"Nursing Homes, Federal ratings give just part of the story"
By — Lee Bowman and Thomas Hargrove
(Scripps Howard News Service— Editor)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009

A statistical analysis of the federal government’s first ratings of nearly 16,000 nursing homes reveals an uneven level of quality across the nation and shows how complicated it is to find a good nursing home.
Go to our BLOG to read the full news article

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• VENTURA COUNTY STAR
"Senior Advocate: Ombudsmen Have Crucial Role in Elder Care"
By — Betty Berry, Ventura County Star

Q: I recently visited someone in a nursing facility and noticed a poster providing contact information for the ombudsman. I don’t know what an ombudsman does and what, if any, organization is involved.

A: The program you are asking about is the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. It is a nationwide nonprofit organization that helps ensure quality care for residents of skilled nursing and assisted-living care facilities.
Go to our BLOG to read the full article

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• VENTURA COUNTY STAR
"Your Letters"
By — Mel Silberberg, Thousand Oaks
(The writer chairs the advisory council of the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging. — Editor)
Thursday, April 30, 2009

Re: your April 26 editorial, “Elderly need a watchdog”:

The Star deserves special praise for this editorial, which advocated on behalf of an important segment of our Ventura County community: frail and vulnerable elderly people. Read full article

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• VENTURA COUNTY STAR
Editorial: Elderly need a watchdog
By Kevin Clerici
Sunday, April 26, 2009

AB935 WILL FUND OMBUDSMEN: Some are old, some will be lucky enough to grow old and most of us know and care about people who are older than we are. In other words, we all have a vested interest in ensuring the elderly are properly cared for. Read full article

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• VENTURA COUNTY STAR
Photo by Juan Carlo
Star staff

Sylvia Taylor Stein, right, and Sue Tatangelo of the Camarillo Health Care District give each other a hug on Monday. "We have to take care of each other," Taylor Stein told about 250 people at the conference.

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• VENTURA COUNTY STAR
Budget cuts threaten programs
By Kevin Clerici
Tuesday, October 28, 2008

SENIORS CALLED TO ACTION: Taylor Stein said the Ventura County ombudsman program has lost nearly $50,000 as part of the $3.8 million statewide cut, and federal matching money could be lost as well. The state and federal money account for a third of her roughly $300,000 budget to manage a team of nearly 50 state-certified volunteers. Read full article

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• CALIFORNIA CHRONICLE
Newswire Services
January 9, 2008

VENTURA COUNTY CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION DONATES $10,000 TO LOCAL CHARITIES: Recipients of charitable funds, presented on Dec. 20, include: Long Term Care Services of Ventura County, Inc. Ombudsman Program. Read More...

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• THOUSAND OAKS ACORN
November, 2006

VOLUNTEERS RECEIVE CLvFFie AWARD : Finalists have been selected in the following categories: Health Care: Jean Gordon, Isa Brente Shekter and Long Term Care of Ventura County- Ombudsman will also be honored. Read full article

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• VENTURA COUNTY STAR
By T.J. Sullivan
April, 11, 2004

COMPAINTS ABOUT NURSING HOMES CAN SIT FOR MONTHS:The California Department of Health Services is delaying the investigations of many complaints filed against nursing homes, a situation industry watchdogs say endangers the lives of society's most vulnerable elderly citizens. Read full article

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• THOUSAND OAKS ACORN
By Lori Porter
January 8, 2004

OPERATION SENIOR SANTA BRINGS HOLIDAY CHEER TO THE ELDERLY: Ombudsman Long Term Care Services of Ventura County was back again this year with Operation Senior Santa (OSS), a program in which volunteers distribute holiday gifts to the more than 2,000 elderly residents in Ventura County’s 24 skilled nursing facilities.
Read More...

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• LOS ANGELES TIMES
By Massie Nitsch
November 18, 2002

NURSING HOME COMPARISONS START ON THE WEB: The data on 17,000 nursing homes that the federal government put on the Internet last week provide only a starting point for selecting homes and may not accurately measure their quality, say health-care administrators and watchdogs in Ventura County. ...“It’s a good piece in the chain of making a decision. I don’t think it’s the only piece,” said Sylvia Taylor, executive director of Long Term Care Services of Ventura County, a nonprofit organization that counsels families and inspects nursing homes. Read More...

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• VENTURA COUNTY STAR
By Alicia Doyle
July 21, 2000

HELPING ELDERLY: Volunteers are voices for residents of lon-term care homes.
Read More...

Our mission

The Ventura County Ombudsman Program is founded on the principle that elderly persons unable to care for themselves are entitled to dependable and consistent care.

The Ventura County Ombudsman Program's mission is to assure the highest quality of life and care possible for our elderly in long term care facilities throughout Ventura County.

Background
In 1978 Congress amended the Older Americans Act to establish long-term care Ombudsman (a Swedish word that means "advocate") to serve the frail vulnerable elderly residents in long-term care facilities. This was a much-needed action and a result of the serious problems that surfaced when the nursing home industry exploded following the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.

In Ventura County, two members of the National Council of Jewish Women founded the Ombudsman program. In 1988 the founders, Bee Ellisman and Shirley Radding, created Long Term Care Services of Ventura County, Inc., a not-for-profit charitable corporation, to administer the Ombudsman program.

Overview
Residents in long-term care facilities are among the most frail and vulnerable in Ventura County. Because many cannot represent themselves, they need assistance to improve their quality of life and care. The Ventura County Ombudsman Program advocates for the highest quality of life and care possible for all our elderly living in long term care facilities.

Although federal mandate requires only one visit per year per long term care facility, the Ventura County program, from inception, established a minimum of once a week visitation in skilled nursing facilities and a minimum of once a month visitation in all residential care facilities. This visitation schedule is still in place and ongoing today even though facilities in Ventura County have increased 900% since 1981. All Ombudsman visitation is unscheduled and unannounced.

The Ombudsman is trained, certified and mandated by federal and state authority to identify, investigate, and resolve complaints made by or on behalf of residents and to provide services to help in safeguarding their health, safety, welfare and rights. Pre-admission counseling and support group services are also provided as valuable and much needed services.

To ensure quality care the Ombudsman coordinates with licensing and regulatory agencies as well as law enforcement.

Meet the dedicated staff who serve our elderly

Sylvia Taylor-Stein Executive Director Sylvia Taylor-Stein Executive Director was introduced to the Ombudsman Program in August of 1999 and became actively involved in September of the same year. Sylvia, and her husband Marc, a native Californian, have five adult children and live in Ventura County. Sylvia’s greatest inspiration in her life was her grandmother who died at 92 years of age after suffering with Alzheimer’s disease for 10 years. It was this love and deep respect for her grandmother that influenced her desire to become involved with the elderly, and the exceptional advocacy work of the Ombudsman Program. Sylvia received her higher education at Ambassador University in Hertfordshire England and the University of Northern Kentucky. Her work experience is extensive in the areas of publishing, marketing, management (including non-profit management) and public relations. She was executive vice president of an international publishing company for 12 years where she also served as director of its private foundation. Sylvia says, “My grandmother was blessed to live and die at home with loving people around her. This is not the case for most of our elderly in long term care. My goal is to help build a strong ombudsman program here in Ventura County that can provide the effective advocacy, care and support they need and deserve.”
Kathy Terry Field Services Coordinator Kathy Terry, Field Services Coordinator, was introduced to the Ombudsman program during her tenure in the eldercare industry where she had worked for 8 years. Although she felt a kinship and knew she helped those she served, she also realized there were limitations that prevented her from fully advocating for those in need, and she had a deep yearning to do so. This had been birthed years earlier by the powerful influence of her paternal grandmother, who was a perfect example of taking stewardship over those seniors in her neighborhood who were vulnerable and alone. As she became familiar with the advocacy work of the Ombudsman, she knew, if ever given the opportunity, she would want to be an Ombudsman. In 2007 she was invited to come on staff. Kathy is currently completing her Graduate program in Gerontology at California State University at Northridge. She and John, her wonderful husband of 32 years live in Ventura County and have four adult children. “It is a joy to come to work everyday, knowing that this program is making a real difference in the lives of deserving individuals, who have earned the right to be treated with dignity and respect in the golden years of their lives. You can judge a society by how it treats its elders.”
Cassandra Sproule Complaint Resolution Coordinator Cassandra Sproule, Complaint Resolution Coordinator is the newest member of the Ombudsman staff. Cassandra and her husband, Rob, along with their three children recently relocated back home to California after serving many years with the Salvation Army. While serving in the Salvation Army, Cassandra held many positions including: Pastor/CEO/Day Care Director/Program Developer for Youth and the Elderly. During her program work with elderly women with disabilities, Cassandra created projects that allowed them to feel value and enjoy the fulfillment that comes with giving back to their families and communities through something they loved – sewing. She assisted them in learning new methods, and tools to enable them to rediscover their sewing talents and stay active. Cassandra says, “When I was invited to become a member of the Ombudsman Program, I was very excited to be part of a program that brings so much benefit to our seniors in long term care facilities and the community as a whole.
Vicky Odle Administrative Assistant Vicky Odle, Volunteer Support & Administrative Assistant, is a California native, residing in Ventura with Alan, her wonderful husband of 25 years. After raising their two children, and working along side her husband in the family business, Vicky felt her needs grow, both professionally and spiritually. In 2001, Vicky went to work as an Accounts Receivable Specialist. After eight years of office work, Vicky received an opportunity to facilitate in the private rehabilitation field. It soon became evident to Vicky that her passions would always reside in an environment where giving back was prominent. Later, when she found herself in the position of having to advocate for her mother and father during their time of illness she came to see the vital need for strong advocacy voices in our health care facilities. When offered a staff position at Long Term Care Services, Vicky felt no hesitation, and knew she had found her calling. Vicky says, “Working for the Ombudsman Program has been a gift. I feel complete, and see only positive things in my future. I wake up every day feeling incredibly blessed, and grateful God has given me the opportunity to serve our seniors and their families.”
RESIDENT CATS Favorite things to do - napping!