God's Untiring Watch

"What can an ombudsman do?", my friend asked. He was dealing with the challenges faced in many nursing homes across the country. At 92, his father has become blind from glaucoma and becomes disoriented in the midst of  noise of other residents in the large dining room at meals and social activities. His father had slapped out at another resident during one of his periods of disorientation. His actions resulted in the staff having him transferred to the local behavioral health center without the daughter's signature or approval. Upon the resident's return, he was still over medicated and disoriented with no improvement in behavior. The night after his return, the staff restrained him with cloth wrist restraints. The son was distraught with grief at seeing his father pulling against the restraints to the point where fragile skin on his wrists was bruised. The son told me he had talked about his father's care with the nursing staff, director of nursing, social worker and administrator to no avail. He said he attended every care plan meeting and gave input on his father's care. He felt his input was discounted and nothing was being done to help his father have any quality of life. Now he felt he needed outside support and therein was his reason for requesting knowledge about the ombudsman. I explained that the ombudsman was an objective individual who could be reached anonymously to whom her could report issues and concerns of care or treatment in a nursing home. I explained that he could also disclose concerns about his father's needs or care and request special review of these issues which would be investigated.
To locate information about the ombudsman program:
http://www.elderweb.com/organization/long-term-care-ombudsman-louisiana
For the Office of Elderly Affairs to connect with the ombudsman:
http://goea.louisiana.gov/
To locate support service and information about Alzheimer's Disease
http://www.alz.org/louisiana/in_my_community_support.asp

Even through we have governmental resources, we also have our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to whom we can pray and depend upon for help and protection. God is all powerful as He is never tired or diverted from watching over us.
1."I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?" 2. "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." 
7."The Lord will keep you from all harm--He will watch over your life;" 8." the Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore." Psalm 121: 1-2 and 7-8 NIV