Page A3
lune 25, 2008
Helping Those Who Can’t Help Themselves
continued
from Front
Walter points out that seniors are more at
risk for having rights violated, saying, “Our
mission is to improve the quality of their care."
The Laurelhurst Village nursing home on
Southeast Stark Street where Elwrxxi works
has below-average complaint rates, but any
facility can benefit from more supervision.
Elwood can walk into Laurelhurst Village any
time of day and see a number of indicators for
how patients are doing— their dress, any
changed ability to walk, eating habits and visi­
tors.
Ombudsmen therefore seek to improve nurs­
ing-home life in many ways that any guest
would. On a recent visit, Elwood noticed that a
resident didn’t have a fork at dinner and pointed
this out to the busy kitchen staff.
In addition to a fervent caring for those
who c a n 't help them selves, om budsm en get
certified with intensive six-day trainings and
a fat take-hom e notebook o f laws and guide­
lines. They often work side-by-side with
nursing-hom e adm inistration, which pro­
vides an interesting counterpart with their
regulatory eye.
“It’s a nice thing for us too,” says Colleen
Rees, Laurelhurst Village administrator. "We
Dear Deanna!
I was in a marriage for 3 years that
didn’t last. I am now legally di­
vorced with no strings attached
and I want to live my life. I’m very
responsible but my family accuses
me of being an unfit parent. My
children are old enough to be left
home alone and I don’t bring my
relationships in front of them. 1 don’,
want to enter another serious rela­
tionship and wish everyone would
leave me alone. Does it matter what
I do as long as my family is taken
care of? —Marissa; Omaha, Neb.
Dear Marissa:
As a parent, you have moral obliga­
tions you must adhere to whether
you want to or not. There’s nothing
wrong with having fun, recreational
dating and enjoying the rush of
single life. Double check your ac­
tions in regards to your parenting
skills and the care arrangements for
your children while you’re out and
about. You may not want a relation­
ship, but you want to be careful and
not fall into the category of a gar­
den tool.
Timi Elwood
really need some help advocating for these
people.”
Rees sees ombudsmen as another resource
fo rth e facility’s 2 0 0 residents. S he’ll call on
Elwood, without family connections or a
staff position at the nursing home, to w it­
ness signatures because o f om budsm en's
impartial position. More irregularly, ombuds-
Ask ö
Real People, Real Advice
A n advice colum n know n fo r
its fearless approach to reality
based subjects!
Dear Deanna!
I’m a Christian and there are things
that I do that people don’t agree
with. I feel as if I can drink wine,
enjoy music and wear what I want
to wear. Don’t get me wrong, I love
the Lord and do what I'm supposed
to do. My life is fine but other
people don’t think so. I don’t like
being judged when other people at
men will intervene in a com plex legal situa­
tion, such as with last m onth’s debacle in­
volving a family member attem pting to ob­
tain guardianship for a nursing-hom e resi­
dent against the patient’s will.
“When the state looks you in the eye, it can
make a big difference,” Elwood says.
Another major issue for any nursing home
concerns court proceedings to declare a resi­
dent legally incompetent to make decisions.
Since most people can’t remember what they
had for dinner last Tuesday, Elwood argues for
a definition of competency that focuses on
human needs and emotions.
"Can they tell you what they want? Can they
tell you what they like? Can they tell you how
they feel? Those are the important things, not
the day of the week," she says.
Feelings became so strong among residents
on the topic of food quality that the staff now
organizes a monthly meeting on the subject.
El w(x»d sees nutrition issues as a matter of life
or death, no, just a question of comfort or
dignity.
“ You have the power to make life better for
some people who don’t have the ability to do
that for themselves,” she says.
For more information about the ombudsman
program or to learn how to get involved, con­
tact Kathy W alterat 1 -800-522-2602.
church do the same thing but pre­ do simple things. I don’t mind her
tend to be super holy. Do I need to spending here and there, but she
go ahead and change churches makes major purchases without my
because these people aren't going consent, goes on trips and gives
to change? -H onest Christian; money to her family. How do I let
Charleston, S.C.
her know, this is killing our mar­
riage? -D a n ; Long Island City,
Dear Honest:
N.Y.
If you were as rooted in your faith
as you pretend to be, you wouldn’t Dear Dan:
worry about what other people You should bear the responsibility
think. You need to put your stones of eliminating her access to cash,
away and come out of the same bank accounts and credit cards and
glass house that everyone else is pay all the bills yourself. Your im­
in. Y ou're just as guilty because mediate goal is to stabilize the f i ­
you just so happen to know their nances and your credit rating. The
business the way they know yours. next step is to physically give her a
Do yourself a favor and mind your budget and if she messes up, leave
business, live according to G od’s her to fend for herself. Once this is
word and seek to receive growth done, encourage your wife to get
and understanding in your wor­ some counseling and stick to the
ship instead of human acceptance. budget you give her or you’ll both
be looking at each other in the poor
Dear Deanna!
house.
My wife and I are having financial
troubles because she won’t stop Ask Deanna is written by Deanna
spending money. We live on a bud­ M. Write Ask Deanna! Email:
ge, but she keeps breaking the rules. askdeannal@ yahoo.com or 264
It’s at the point where our bills are S. LaCienega Blvd. Suite I28J
late, my credit rating has become Beverly Hills. CA 90211. Website:
poor and we don't have money to www.askdeanna.com
Ocean 503
Goodin the
Neighborhood
continued
fro m Front
because they love the event.
“People are feeling the crunch
in many areas, with unem ploy­
ment, the depressed housing mar­
ket and rising gas prices. The
festival gives a little relief with
some free entertainm ent. It’s also
O nce upon a tim e, the fe s­
tival, then know n as G ood in
the H ood, w as held on the
grounds o f Holy R edeem er
S chool, and there was a $10
adm ission charge. F orthe
past six years the event
has been held at King
School Park. Since it was
im possible to seal o ff the
grounds su ffic ie n tly to
make an adm ission charge
feasible, the o rg anizers
d id n ’t try. Instead, they
have relied on c o n trib u ­
tions o f m ajor sponsors.
T his year these include
W a s h in g to n
M u tu a l
Bank, Providence H ealth
System , P acific Pow er,
the P o rtla n d D e v e lo p ­
ment Com m ission and the
N o rth e a st C o a litio n o f
N e ig h b o r h o o d s . T h e y
w ill be honored at the
Friday evening session,
w hich is b illed as M eet ChattaAddy
the Sponsors N ight.
“This year was a struggle be­ an excellent place to find re­
cause of the (downturn of) the sources. W e’re encouraging the
national economy,” lead orga­ vendors to provide information
nizer Cheryl Roberts told the on em ploym ent opportunities.”
Portland Observer. “We lost The Ethnic Market Place is a way
some sponsors but gained some to find some good bargains, she
new ones. Many stayed with us says.
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