VOP Voice - September 2016

September 2016

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Turner, Shelley

Volunteer of the Month:
Shelley Turner

Our Volunteer of the Month for August is Shelley Turner.  Shelley has served as Volunteer Ombudsman at Forest City Good Samaritan for one year. 

A native Iowan who originally hails from Postville, Shelley married her husband, Doug, at the age of 19. Doug's career in the Army led the family around the country and overseas, resulting in 18 moves over 23 years. During this time, Shelley kept herself busy raising two children, working as a church secretary and music teacher and completing a two-year business degree and the majority of a nursing degree.

Shelley and Doug were always eager to serve as mentors to younger troops and help keep them from “falling through the cracks.” Now in civilian life, they continue to serve their neighbors, and even strangers, in the same way.

The couple's children are now grown. Jessica, 34, and Joe, 25, both have special needs, but live independently with supportive services to assist them with errands and appointments. Shelley estimates she spent over 200 nights in the hospital with her children when they were young, but is happy to report they both have great futures ahead. 

To her fellow volunteers, Shelley says, “Have patience with yourself. In your first few visits, people may not share much. Hang in there. You'll learn. There's a lot of fulfillment to be had in helping. Meet people where they are… that’s great advice for anyone.”   

The VOP is proud to have Shelley and thanks her for her service.
Welcome Mat

New Volunteers

Please join us in welcoming the newest Volunteer Ombudsmen:

  • Liz Seiser – Scottish Rite Park (Des Moines)
  • Carol Stuart – Carlisle Center for Wellness and Rehab (Carlisle)
  • Kari Froeling – Accura of Knoxville (Knoxville)
Birthday cupcake

Volunteer Anniversaries

The following volunteers are celebrating their one-year anniversary in August:

  • Lu Ann Frisch – Windmill Manor (Coralville)
  • Linda Richardson – Ottumwa Good Samaritan (Ottumwa)

The following volunteers have served with us for two years or more:

  • Harriett Waters – Park Place at Henry County Health Center (Mt. Pleasant)
  • Kathy Elswick – West Acres (Leon)
  • Marilyn Spangler – Manorcare Health Services (Davenport)
  • Sandy Grant – Anamosa Care Center (Anamosa)
  • Nancy Hodson – Donnellson Health Center (Donnellson) - 3 yrs.
Man at computer

Continuing Education Opportunities & Events


Statewide VOP Conference Call
Minutes from July's call regarding mental health care in facilities are available to download from the VOP Communiques page.

Save the date for our next VOP statewide conference call at 2 p.m. on Sept. 21. Long-Term Care Ombudsman Julie Pollock and AmeriCorps VISTA Shannon Snyder will be discussing DIA trends regarding residents' rights. To participate, call (877) 273-4202 and enter PIN #877-693-990. Contact your VOP coordinator with questions.

Back to Basics: Ground Floor Issues in Substitute Decision Making
The Guardianship Association of Iowa Network (GAIN) will be hosting a fall conference on Friday, Oct. 7, at the Kirkwood Training & Resource Center in Marion. Anyone interested in attending on scholarship should contact their VOP Coordinator for registration information.

Save the Date

Save the Date:
Residents' Rights Month Mini-Seminars

The VOP will be holding mini-seminars around the state in October for Residents' Rights Month. Each will be held from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. and will include lunch, learning and fun. These events are a great way to connect with your fellow volunteers and the program staff, and attendance counts toward continuing education! Registration and agendas will be released in the coming weeks. For now, mark your calendars:

  • Monday, Oct. 3  – Waverly
  • Thursday, Oct. 6 – Des Moines
  • Monday, Oct. 17 – Council Bluffs
  • Wednesday, Oct. 19 – Sioux City
  • Tuesday, Oct. 25 – Iowa City
Due Date

Monthly Reports Due

This is a friendly reminder that monthly reports for August should be submitted if you have not already done so. Online reports must be completed by Sept. 5. Contact your VOP coordinator for technical assistance.

 News

In the News:

‘Managing' elderly patients without powerful antipsychotics

Antipsychotic drugs are approved to treat serious psychiatric conditions such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. But in seniors, they're often used to calm aggressive or violent behavior linked to dementia. This article from Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier explains how nurses are now being trained to handle behavioral issues without using medication as a method. 

> Read article


Feds to target social media abuse in nursing homes

Nursing homes have a responsibility to protect residents’ privacy, to prohibit abuse, to provide training on how to prevent abuse and to investigate all allegations of abuse. So what do we do when Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram are being used to exploit nursing home residents? This article discusses ways that Medicare, Medicaid and state health departments are trying to reduce the issues.

> Read article 

RL Memoriam

In Memoriam

We were deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Volunteer Ombudsman Roger Leff, who served at Westwood Care Center in Sioux City. A strong advocate for long-term care residents, Roger had a wonderful sense of humor and will be greatly missed. 

> Read Roger's obituary 

Call for Nominations

Do you know an Iowan who has made a difference in the lives of older adults or adults with disabilities? Nominate him/her today for the prestigious Betty Grandquist Lifetime Achievement Award! Applications will be accepted through Sept. 9, 2016.

> Learn more