Arkansas Volunteers

Arkansas Successfully Grows its Volunteer Ombudsman Program

Holds Volunteer Recognition Event

In the last year, Kathie Gately, Arkansas State Long-term Care Ombudsman, has worked to increase the number of volunteer ombudsmen in the state by 850%!!!!  The certified volunteer program grew from 3 to 75. At a recent banquet, the 1^st Arkansas Certified Volunteer Ombudsman Recognition Banquet on December 2^nd, 2005, Kathie invited and received the State Attorney General, the Director of the Division of Aging, Nancy Allison from the citizen advocacy group Arkansas Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, a representative from AARP, and others -- including representatives from the State Nursing Home Associations.  Quite a collaborative effort!  At the event, a standing salute was given to this year’s recipient of the Royce Haigwood Outstanding Certified Volunteer Ombudsman Award, Joann Kongenske, from Southeast Arkansas Area Agency on Aging.

Ms. Gately has been successful in helping some of the local programs obtain funding and went from 9 regional ombudsmen to the current 12.  She also has implemented a new "Back-Up Ombudsman" position ---- of current Area Agency on Aging (AAA) employees who are trained and certified as ombudsmen, but serve as ombudsmen only when the regional ombudsman is out sick or on vacation, or has a really heavy caseload and needs some extra assistance.  The AAAs have been very supportive, and it has helped out the regional ombudsmen tremendously.

Congratulations Kathie!