Catholic Charities ombudsman describes advocacy scope across nine counties

Julie Schopner, program director for the long‑term care ombudsman program at Catholic Charities, briefed the Lee County Finance Committee on the program’s advocacy work and asked for continued county support. Schopner said the ombudsman program advocates for residents of skilled nursing, assisted living, intermediate care and other licensed facilities. The program covers nine northwestern Illinois counties, representing roughly 115 homes and just under 8,700 licensed beds in total. The program uses staff and volunteers certified under state training requirements. Schopner described how the ombudsman works with adult protective services (APS) and regulators. ‘‘If a resident is unable to give us direction, then it states we need to look to their representative,’’ she said, noting that banks and other third parties present challenges when a resident’s representative is implicated in alleged exploitation. She said APS can sometimes obtain records more readily than the ombudsman program and that the two programs now collaborate on many cases. Why it matters: ombudsman services provide an independent advocate for residents and help identify systemic problems before they escalate to regulatory complaints. The program’s application requested $3,000 from the county this year; the committee was reminded the program serves multiple counties and that the $617,000 figure quoted covers the nine‑county program, not Lee County alone. No formal vote on funding occurred at the meeting. Schopner and the committee discussed referral pathways, volunteer coordination (including partnership with RSVP) and certification and continuing education requirements for ombudsman volunteers and staff.