LCE-The Office of The D.C. Long Term Care Ombudsman

Long-Term Care Ombudsmen serve as advocates for residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and community residence facilities, by protecting residents’ rights and promoting their highest possible quality of care and quality of life. Volunteers assist the Ombudsman team in advocating for residents

From our volunteers:

“As a retiree, it’s my way of giving back. The program is rewarding and helps residents understand and exercise their rights.”

“My day is so much better when I visit a resident in my facility, and that person smiles and engages with me just because I spend a few minutes in a conversation.”

“Ensuring residents are clean, fed, and treated humanely is challenging, but our role is crucial in driving improvements and creating a better environment for current and future residents.

We are seeking seniors to become part of the Office of the District of Columbia Long-Term Care Ombudsman (DCLTCO) volunteer team.

As a Volunteer Ombudsman, you will listen to residents’ issues and concerns and then work with staff, families, or other residents toward resolution. Some of the issues you may assist a resident with could be, obtaining feeding assistance, receiving clean sheets or clothing, getting a question answered about Medicare or Medicaid, or helping to organize a resident council to help residents advocate on their own behalf. The volunteer job is important, and you will have an opportunity to have a profound effect on the lives of D.C. long-term care residents. Also require a minimum one-year time commitment, must have a landline or cell phone. We will provide a 36 hours training, 7 hours of independent study; at least 10 hours in the field; and a range of 16-20 hours of classroom training. You will be the voice of the most vulnerable resident in the District Columbia. All travel reimburses.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact O. Lorena Ruiz at (202)434-2155 or email at oruiz@aarp.org.