Speaker Information:
Shannon Gimbel-
Shannon joined the Area Agency on Aging staff at DRCOG as an Ombudsman in 2002. In this role, she worked to empower and educate residents about their rights within Long-Term Care communities and helps them resolve any concerns that may arise.
In 2010, Shannon was promoted to the position of Regional Ombudsman and in 2017, a local PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) program was established, giving Shannon the opportunity to help develop a program specifically for PACE participants in DRCOG’s region. Currently, DRCOG is the only local PACE Ombudsman program.
Shannon oversees the Assisted Living, Nursing Home and PACE teams. A significant portion of Shannon’s work involves advocating for residents on a broader scale, providing valuable input from the resident perspective to larger agencies and departments when making decisions about the future of Long-Term Care and PACE
About the Training:The Ombudsman is a valuable resource in ensuring that residents' rights are upheld at both Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing care, but did you know they can also be a valuable resource to help you and your team stay compliant with regulations?
Facilitating Communication
Ombudsmen can act as neutral parties to facilitate communication between residents, families, and facility staff. This mediation helps in resolving conflicts and improving relationships within the facility before a formal complaint is filed.
Assisting with an Involuntary discharge
The Ombudsman will always push to abide by the residents’ rights including facilitating having the resident remain in the facility. If you involve the Ombudsman early on when you are struggling with a resident, they can help you understand what your responsibility is concerning issuing a 30-day discharge so that when you issue the discharge notice it is compliant with what CDPHE expects and you are not forced to delay the process.
Staff Education:
The ombudsman also are a wonderful resource to help with Staff training ideas, including person centered care, caring for people with different needs and good care practices.
