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Ventura County Star July 21, 2000
By Alicia Doyle Frank Coony seeks only a humble gesture -- a smile, a hug or a laugh. Once in a while, a handshake will do. Sometimes, a wave is good enough. It's this simple body language, Coony says, that shows whether a frail, elderly person living in a long-term-care home is safe, healthy and happy. If these signs don't exist, it's Coony's job to speak for those too weak or afraid to speak for themselves. "You look around -- take a look at the whole facility -- and most importantly, you have a friendly relationship with the residents," said Coony, 76, a Simi Valley resident for 12 years. "You want them to feel comfortable talking with you so if some kind of problem is going on, they feel comfortable discussing it with you." For the past six years, Coony has served as a certified ombudsman -- Swedish for "citizen representative" -- who volunteers to make unannounced visits to long-term care facilities. The inspections are to ensure that no residents are abused, neglected or financially exploited. With the growing number of licensed homes in Ventura County -- with 36 in Simi Valley alone -- volunteers for the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program are greatly needed, Coony said. "There are so many board and care homes now and they're increasing," Coony said. "There's a lot of work to be done." The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program receives, investigates and resolves complaints made by people living in skilled nursing facilities and residential care homes throughout Ventura County. Founded in 1981 and administered through the California State Department of Aging, the program attempts to ensure the highest possible levels of care and quality of life for the frail and elderly -- most of whom have few or no family members or friends, said Sylvia Taylor, executive director of the program. "Sixty percent of them have outlived their family or friends," said Taylor, who noted that 40 percent of people who reach the age of 65 will spend time in a long-term-care facility. "For a lot of these individuals, the ombudsman is the only extended family or friend that they have," Taylor said. "The ombudsman is the only one to watch out for them." Coony retired in 1985 from his job as marketing director of economic development in San Bernardino County. He first heard about becoming an ombudsman from a neighbor who served in the position for five years until he became too ill to continue. Coony is now one of only a handful of ombudsmen in Simi Valley who look for any sign of lack of care. Up until 1996, he was the only volunteer assigned to five of the city's then 15 long-term-care homes. Today there are 152 facilities countywide, Taylor said. They are overseen by 34 certified ombudsmen -- some have full-time jobs -- who perform unscheduled inspections on their lunch hours, after work, on weekends or other spare time. During his visits to long-term- care homes, Coony makes sure the bathrooms are clean and fully equipped with shower seats and grab bars. He looks in the refrigerator, in cabinets and under the sink for rotten food or leftover trash. He makes sure there are enough windows to let in sunshine. Coony even smells the air to make sure the residents are bathed and changed regularly. He pays particular attention to the residents themselves. For him, a warm handshake would indicate a person is comfortable, while fluid conversation shows a person is interested. The slightest smile is the best indicator. For Coony, these visits bring an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. "The greatest satisfaction is to look in the residents' eyes and see that they are mentally active; that they are reading or they can have a interesting conversation," he said "These are elderly, frail people and they are physically limited to what they can do. To see them mentally still interested in the world around them brings a lot of satisfaction to me." |