Ahhh, Spring! The flowers are starting to bloom, my beloved San Francisco Giants are preparing for the start of the baseball season. And our non-profit agency starts making its pitch to city, county, and state government for funding for the new fiscal year.
This is the time of the year when, in addition to advocating for residents, we develop a budget and talk to the elected officials who primarily fund our efforts. We could use your help in this effort. I explain how in a little bit.
Long Term Care Ombudsman programs have a unique funding model. Although we are mandated by state and federal law, we draw our resources from a variety of sources. Some federal dollars are routed through the state who contracts with local Area Agency on Aging bodies to determine how Ombudsman services will be provided in their jurisdiction.
But federal and state dollars are not enough to support a robust program to protect resident rights. So we ask for aid from cities, counties, and philanthropic groups.
We have been blessed to be supported by nearly all of the cities in our service area plus the governments of Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. We also get assistance from the United Ways of each county plus a generous donation from the Monterey Peninsula Foundation. I am proud to say that we get a yearly donation from the Aromas Eagles, a service organization in my hometown.
Put that patchwork together and add some private donations and you have our funding model. That’s a lot of work for only barely enough money to keep the doors open.
When the Ombudsman program was created by federal law back in the 1970s, it was designed to be a partnership of federal and local resources. In fact, there are mechanisms that encourage programs to seek local support and not simply rely on Washington. The founding notion was that protecting the rights of facility-bound residents is a mission that should be shared by the entire community. Having an active cadre of volunteer Ombudsman is one manifestation of the push for shared responsibility.
Our financial support was hit hard during the Great Recession. We now have a smaller staff then we did when I became an Ombudsman 11 years ago. In 2008, all state general fund support for local programs was taken out of the state budget. Just last year, a fraction of that funding was restored.
City and county leaders want to be responsible stewards of local funds. They need to know the money is being used wisely and that expenditures are supported by citizens.
That’s where you come in. If you are a resident of a long-term care facility, or you have had a loved one in a facility, you most likely have witnessed the work of the Ombudsman. You know that we identify and work to resolve quality of care issues. You know the Ombudsman is often the only voice advocating for resident rights. You know how important our work is to the daily lives of residents.
We need you to tell others. In the coming days, weeks, and months, we will be asking you to contact local and state leaders and encourage them to financially support the work of the Ombudsman. Please answer the calls to action. If you want to talk about how you can help spread the word about the public value of Ombudsman services, give me a call (831-429-1913 in Santa Cruz, 831-636-1638 in San Benito) and we will work out an action plan.
Advocating for quality care and protections of rights takes all of us.
Wayne Norton is coordinator of the Long Term Care Ombudsman program in San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties. He lives in Aromas.