BEAUMONT, Texas — Nursing homes across Southeast Texas are in need of advocates to make sure the residents are getting the care they need.
The Texas Long Term Care Ombudsman Program is looking for volunteers in Jefferson, Orange, and Hardin counties.
In the three-county area, the program covers over 2,200 residents living in nursing facilities.
The program is looking for caring and dedicated volunteers who are willing to serve as an advocate for this growing population.
In Texas, 60% of nursing facility residents have no immediate relatives or regular visitors, according to the Ombudsman program.
A volunteer would visit once a week to advocate for resident rights and quality of care.
The Ombudsman Program recruits, trains, certifies and oversees Volunteer Ombudsmen who visit with nursing home residents weekly and advocate for resident rights and quality of care, according to a news release.
The program is administered through the Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Texas in Beaumont, which is a division of the Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission.
If you're interested in volunteering and becoming a certified Ombudsman, you can call (409) 899-8444.
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