Volunteer as a Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Volunteer ombudsmen expand our capacity to identify and address the needs of long-term care residents.
If you become a volunteer ombudsman, you will work under the supervision of paid staff as an advocate for residents of long-term care facilities (nursing homes, residential care homes and assisted living residences). You will be assigned to facilities in your community and make frequent, unannounced visits.
During these visits, you will respond to resident complaints, report serious problems to supervisors, and provide residents and their families with information that helps improve residents’ quality of life and quality of care.
Volunteer ombudsmen must be committed to promoting and protecting the right of each resident to self-determination and a dignified existence.
Volunteer ombudsmen must be at least 18 years old. You must complete an application, be interviewed by our paid staff, provide references, and consent to a criminal background check.
Training
Once accepted into our program, volunteers complete 20 hours of classroom training and 30 hours of field training to become a certified volunteer ombudsman. Volunteers are required to complete at least 18 hours of trainings each year. You must provide your own transportation to facilities, but we reimburse for mileage. We ask for a commitment of 3-5 hours per week for a minimum of 1 year.
How to apply
Contact information
Email the Volunteer Ombudsman Coordinator, Kaili Kuiper, or call 802-223-6377.