State cuts to a federally-mandated program that protects the rights of the elderly have left advocates pleading for volunteers to help keep an eye on nearly 5,000 nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the State of California
Elimination of more than $3.8 million from California's long-term care ombudsman program has forced almost all the state's 35 offices statewide to lay off employees and look for grants and local funding..The need now is especially critical. for volunteers.
So far, according to reports, all the State of California's long-term care ombudsman programs have come up with money to keep them going,
A 1978 federal law requires each state to establish a long-term care ombudsman program.
More than 120 part-time and full-time ombudsmen and an estimated 1,000 volunteers investigate and resolve complaints made on behalf of patients in long-term care facilities. Complaints range in severity from poor food, physical abuse, neglect and financial exploitation.
.Elimination of state funding has reduced the ombudsmen office to just about half the funding they had just recently received although and federal lawmakers are considering legislation that would increase program funding.
But as program money evaporates, the poor economy has increased everyones workload, The number of financial abuse cases involving the elderly has gone off the maps,
State law requires those cases to be reported to district attorney's offices, which requires short-staffed long-term care ombudsman programs to submit more paperwork, .
Contact Steven Peck's Premier Legal toll free at 1-866-999-9085 to talk to an experienced elder abuse and neglect attorney.
