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Course Description

This course equips ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ with the skills and knowledge to advocate for and improve the quality of life for older adults and persons with disabilities in long-term care facilities. By employing a person-centered approach, ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ will gain hands-on experience, build professional skills, and earn a credential to serve as an Ombudsman.

Course Objectives

• To understand the role of advocacy in improving the lives of residents in long-term care facilities.
• To learn and apply mediation and conflict resolution techniques in real-world settings.
• To gain firsthand experience in long-term care environments.
• To enhance professional skills and expand career opportunities.

Training Highlights

In this course, trainers from the New York Department of Aging partner with Hofstra faculty and create opportunities to:

• Participate in and enrich an intergenerational learning community.
• Shadow experienced ombudsmen.
• Read about and reflect on advocacy, activism, mediation and conflict resolution.
• Understand disability and aging in social, political, and cultural contexts.

Roles of Long-Term Care Ombudsmen

• Advocate – Act on behalf of residents to assure rights are not violated, identifying, investigating and working towards resolution of resident complaints.
• Mediate – Work collaboratively with residents, family members, and staff towards achieving mutually beneficial solutions to the issues they are experiencing in long term care facilities
• Educate – Provide information and consultation to residents, families, facility staff, and community about issues in long term care and specific issues they are experiencing in facilities.
• Refer – When resolution through the Ombudsman program is not achievable, complaints are referred to appropriate agencies.
• to read profiles and view interviews with experienced volunteer ombudsmen.
• to hear from a long-term-care resident about ombudsmen’s contributions.

Sample Curriculum

Important Course Dates