In search of dedicated long-term volunteers, the Family Service Agency — a nonprofit organization that manages a countywide Long-Term Care Ombudsman service for seniors living in residential homes — recently partnered with The Village of Santa Barbara to launch a “Volunteer 4 Seniors” advertisement campaign.
“We have to check in on every residential facility in the county, so we need a lot of volunteers for that,” said the agency’s Marianne McCarthy. Ombudsmen are responsible for investigating complaints of retired residents, making sure there are no issues of elder abuse, and resolving the issues if there are any. The ideal ombudsman volunteer is someone who is retired “because they do have more time and flexibility,” said McCarthy.
“I can’t say enough for the differences that it makes for people who are in facilities and don’t have family nearby or anyone to check on them to make sure the staff is meeting their needs,” she said. “We call it ‘the elite volunteer experience’ because it requires a lot of passion and the ability to listen and solve conflicts.”