Inform, protect and care

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Senior Advocacy Services

One agency with three programs that advocate for seniors in long term care facilities and Medicare beneficiaries who want unbiased individual help and advocacy.

Ombudsman

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No New COVID-19 Cases Among Staff or Residents in Sonoma County Senior Residential Facilities

Dear Friends and Supporters:

This time last year we could not have anticipated how deeply the residents of Sonoma County long term care would be impacted by COVID-19.   Since April 8, 2020 there have been 2,091 positive cases among staff and residents of senior residential facilities (8% of all cases) and 167 deaths among residents (54% of all deaths) in Sonoma County.

I am so pleased to share that in the past 2 weeks, there have been no new COVID-19 cases among staff or residents in Sonoma County senior residential facilities and there have been no deaths among residents since 2/16/2021.

The effort to bring the vaccination into the facilities for both residents and staff was an all-out collaborative effort by Senior Advocacy Services Ombudsman, SC local public health, Kaiser and the federal pharmacy program.  Let’s celebrate how embracing a collective impact model literally saves lives.  I, for one, am so grateful to work with these partners in the shared commitment to the health of our beloved seniors.

 

 

COVID-19 cases in Sonoma County senior residential care facilities:

Best Regards,

Crista L Barnett Nelson                         

Executive Director

SENIOR ADVOCACY SERVICES

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Donning and Doffing of PPE – Great Video Tutorial

Check out this video from CLTCOA, OSLTCO, and CDA:

You can find the video on the CDA COVID-19 Information and Resources webpage, (towards the bottom of the page) CDA Provider Guidance, under Phase I and Phase II Procedures for Ombudsman Return to Facilities.

The video demonstrates the donning and doffing procedures of PPE for varying degrees of risk mitigation, identifying three scenarios as outlined in Attachment C- Reentry to Facilities- Scenarios to Consider.

For more information:  https://www.aging.ca.gov/covid19/ 

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Evacuations Bring Trauma, Confusion and Uncertainty

Crista Barnett-Nelson, Executive Director for Senior Advocacy Servicers and the Sonoma County Long Term Care Ombudsman program was featured along with county Human Services Department Director on radio and newspaper.

The serious  lack of evacuation planning by area facilities was disturbing and the response by the state oversight agency was even more concerning:    “But state regulators dismiss the county’s concerns that care homes didn’t have good plans in place, and that they were relying too heavily on public resources. In a written statement, the California Department of Social Services, which regulates assisted living facilities, called the actions of facilities “appropriate,” and said their plans meet state standards.”

Click to read more

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Sonoma County Virtual Family Council Zoom Meeting for those Caring for a Resident of Long Term Care

June 25, 2020 – July 30, 2020

View Map | Register

Description:

Join the Sonoma County Long Term Care Ombudsman and other professionals serving older adults to discuss how to partner with facility staff to connect to your loved one living in long-term care:
• You are an important part of your loved one’s Care Team!
• The Virtual Family Council will discuss residents’ rights to visitation and restrictions in place due to COVID-19.
• Jennifer Watson, Program Director for Primrose Alzheimer’s Living, will describe how they partner with family members to facilitate family connections, and share best practices you can look for at your loved one’s facility.

Sonoma County Virtual Family Council Zoom Meeting
Thursday, June 25, 2020 at 4:30 p.m.
Join us online or by phone.

Call the Long-Term Care Ombudsman at (707) 526-4108 for more information.

Register

https://senioradvocacyservices.org/event-registration/?ee=355

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SoCo Virtual Family Council for those caring for a resident of long term care

June 25, 2020 – June 25, 2020

View Map | Register

Description:

Join the Sonoma County Long Term Care Ombudsman and other professionals serving older adults to discuss how to partner with facility staff to connect to your loved one living in long-term care:
• You are an important part of your loved one’s Care Team!
• The Virtual Family Council will discuss residents’ rights to visitation and restrictions in place due to COVID-19.
• Jennifer Watson, Program Director for Primrose Alzheimer’s Living, will describe how they partner with family members to facilitate family connections, and share best practices you can look for at your loved one’s facility.

Sonoma County Virtual Family Council Zoom Meeting
Thursday, June 25, 2020 at 4:30 p.m.
Join us online or by phone.
The same Zoom link works for every meeting.
If this is your first meeting, register at https://senioradvocacyservices.org/ for the Zoom link or call-in number.

Call the Long-Term Care Ombudsman at (707) 526-4108 for more information.

Register

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Virtual Family Council

Connecting you with your loved one who is living in long-term care
Does someone you care for live in a long-term setting such as
assisted living or a nursing home?
Join us online or by phone to discuss how you can connect with
your loved one and speak up for the quality of their care.
Meet the Sonoma County Long-Term Care Ombudsman who
advocates for your loved one’s rights.
Sonoma County Virtual Family Council
Zoom meeting
Thursdays, June 18, 25 and July 2,9, 16 and 23, 2020
4:30 p.m.
Email info@sasnb.org for a call-in number or a link to the Zoom meeting.
Call (707) 526-4108 for information.
Join the Facebook group at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SOCOVirtualFamily/

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Project Tablet Turnover

Would you like to Donate a Tablet? Drop it off at 5787 Desoto Drive in Santa Rosa or call (707) 526 – 4108 for pick up. South County Location now available at 1825 Nicola Dr. in Petaluma.    Please reset your tablet to Factory Settings before donating and provide the power cord.  

 

Elderly man taking with family on ipad

Ending Loneliness for Seniors in Long-Term Care

Loneliness in seniors may be fatal. Studies show the feeling of loneliness and emptiness causes suffering for seniors but can lead to serious health problems and even death. With the isolation created by the COVID-19 virus, our elderly living in Skilled Nursing Facilities are alone. For many, families can no longer visit, listen to their stories, or give hugs and loving affection.

Ombudsman have a plan to help in these extraordinary times. Can you donate a tablet? We will help set up with access to games, social media apps, YouTube, free video conferencing and more.  You can help connect a senior in need with the tech we rely on so heavily now.

Donate by delivering your device at 5787 Desoto Drive in Santa Rosa (Rincon Valley) just east of Safeway (Calistoga Rd./Highway  12). Please put the tablet along with its power cord in the box slot as labeled – it will be sitting on a table with a balloon for easy visibility.

If you are unable to drop-off your tablet, call Senior Advocacy Service at (707) 526-4108 to arrange for a staff member to come pick up.  As a small, local non-profit we do not have the ability to refurbish these tablets.  We are asking for working devices that have already been reset to factory settings with the passwords, pins, cellular service etc. removed. If you donate an ipad, turn off the “find my ipad” before restoring it to factory settings.  Help us by donating tablets ready to be given to an isolated senior in need. New or gently used devices are welcome, as are smart phones that can function without mobile/cell service subscription.

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Right to Proper Notice of Discharge or Eviction

black and white line drawing of a older judge with gavel and book

“The facility staff told me I have to move out in three days! I have nowhere to go. Can you help me? “This is a common call to the Ombudsman office. Because of their vulnerable condition, the impact of transfer on elderly residents in long term care can be traumatic and can result in increased risk of illness and death. To minimize transfer trauma resident’s should be involved in all stages of the move process – Preliminary Planning; Choice of a New Location; Visit to the New Location; Orientation at the New Location.
Long term residents in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) in California (usually under Medical) are protected from unnecessary discharges by regulations set by the Department of Public Health (CDPH). There are six reasons that SNFs can give for discharging/transferring a resident:
1. The facility is unable to meet the resident’s medical needs
2. The resident’s health has improved such that he/she no longer needs nursing home care
3. The safety of other individuals is endangered
4. The health of other individuals would be compromise
5. The resident has failed, after reasonable notice, to pay for his/her stay in the facility
6. The facility ceases to operate
Discharge/Eviction notices must be in writing, not verbal, and must be given to the resident and their responsible party 30 days before the discharge date. If there is a question about the decision to discharge facilities must be able to produce documentation to support eviction notices for reasons 1 – 4.
Have you or a family member/friend received an eviction notification? Contact Senior Advocacy Services and speak with our Ombudsman!
Read More to learn about when you can be discharged and your right to proper notice of discharge or eviction. The California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) is an excellent resource for questions about Skilled Nursing and Residential Care Facilities.
Are you living outside of California? Call your local Ombudsman for concerns about evictions. You can search the web by typing Your State and Ombudsman in the search field to find a local office.
This article is an installment in the Resident Rights Series.

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Volunteer with Us!

Multi-colored hands raised and the word Volunteer
My name is Jared Schlyer, Senior Advocacy Services newly appointed Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator and I am looking for compassionate, problem-solving, empathetic and detail oriented individuals who are looking to devote their time to serving seniors as a Certified Ombudsman, a Certified Medicare Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program, or Elder Justice Advocate!
Are you able to help give a voice to those who live in long term care? Do you have the sharp and organized mind to advise those who are on Medicare understand its many intricacies from year to year? Your time is not only valued but much needed!
Senior Advocacy Services also has three major events each year in which run on volunteer support. At Christmas, we wrap and bring gifts to residents of long term care facilities. For Mother’s Day, volunteers craft flower bouquets and deliver them out to the lucky ladies of long term care facilities. And in April we host our annual fundraiser Pick of the Vine with wine, beer and bites in support of seniors in Sonoma County.
Come volunteer today we have a spot for you!
For more information visit our website senioradvocacyservices.org or contact Jared Schlyer via email Jareds@sasnb.org or phone (707) 526-4108 x118
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