The state of Oregon ranks last out of all states and U.S. territories in the supervision of long-term care facilities for the elderly and disabled, according to a federal report.
A 2008 report released by the Administration on Aging cited Oregon as having the country’s fewest paid state ombudsman officials who oversee nursing homes, adult foster homes and other certified care providers statewide. An ombudsman is a person who observes an organization and processes complaints. A federal standard stipulates that states retain one state ombudsman for every 2,200 beds, but in Oregon a single state ombudsman currently monitors all of its nearly 6,700 beds.
While Oregon is not alone in failing to meet the 2,200 bed standard, it faces other challenges as well. Washington State Ombudsman Louise Ryan said her office does not meet the federal standard either, but does have a network of local ombudsmen to assist her office in carrying out responsibilities, which is something the Oregon office lacks.
“The difference between Washington and Oregon is there is only one office for all of Oregon,” Ryan said. “Whereas all the staff in Oregon is based in Salem, our office coordinates with 12 local ombudsmen programs around Washington, meaning we have local staff to respond to complaints and support volunteers.”
The poor structure is linked to a historic lack of support from the state. Ever since Oregon’s Long Term Care Ombudsman office was established in 1981, it has received limited appropriations compared to other states.
“The barrier is funding,” said Mary Jaeger, Oregon’s state ombudsman. “It’s not that we don’t want to (have local offices), it’s that we just don’t have the resources. Right now, the lion’s share of the work is done by volunteers, and the State of Oregon, in the financial situation that it’s in, could never pay people to do the work our volunteers do.”
At present, Oregon’s ombudsman program benefits from approximately 160 volunteers who commit to at least 16 hours a month and are known to do 10-15 hours each week. New recruits must participate in a six-day training program, attend 10 hours of subsequent training each year, and remain a volunteer for at least one year. Volunteer ombudsmen are responsible for monitoring most of Oregon’s long-term care facilities, which house around 43,000 individuals.
As Governor John Kitzhaber prepares to release his budget in the upcoming weeks, long-term care in Oregon may be forced to operate with an even lower amount of funding. With a projected deficit of over $3 billion for the 2011-2013 budget, the ombudsman program may be one of many state programs to receive cuts.
Jaeger remains optimistic this will not happen.
“This program is a very tiny speck on Oregon’s budget,” she said, “and it would make sense not to cut funding for an agency whose primary work is done by volunteers.”
Still, Jaeger admits that a reduction in funding would by no means be a surprise, and she is awaiting a decision by the Oregon government. Further cuts would likely mean an even smaller staff and more pressure on volunteers.
Diane Bishop, a volunteer in her fifth year of serving the Eugene area, hopes this will not happen.
“If cuts are required, we are going to be losing staffing, and as volunteers we really need that advice,” Bishop said. “It really helps us to have someone who can help brainstorm a next step or give moral support. It’s very difficult to operate in a vacuum.”
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Oregon’s budget deficit may lead to more cuts in elderly care
Daily Emerald
January 18, 2011
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