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Texas State Ombudsman, Patty Ducayet, is Interviewed on Nursing Homes Combating COVID-19

May 22, 2020

Texas State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Patty Ducayet, is interviewed by the Austin Chronicle on nursing homes combating COVID-19. In an interview, Ducayet described a system that has responded well in some ways to the COVID-19 crisis, but which relies heavily on individual facilities with varying cultures, skills, and resources to protect residents adequately and communicate with their families effectively.

Ohio State Ombudsman, Beverley Laubert, is Interviewed on Long-Term Care Staffing During COVID-19

May 21, 2020

Ohio State Ombudsman, Beverley Laubert, is interviewed by cleveland.com on staffing in long-term care facilities during COVID-19. In the interview she said that even with the government’s waiver, new hires should not get assigned tasks they can’t handle. She said the waiver could allow an employee from another department of a facility, such as housekeeping, to fill in and learn enough to assist aides and help residents. Others aren’t so sure.

Ombudsman Window Visits in Illinois

May 14, 2020

Senior Services Plus, a regional Ombudsman program in Alton, Illinois, has adjusted their facility visitation methods in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although their visits would typically be done in person, they are now turning to bi-weekly phone calls and monthly window visits. Through these window visits, SSP Ombudsmen like Tracie Ramel-Smith and Chris Sutton have learned that much of the problems residents are seeing in facilities, come from staffing shortages.