By Delisi                                       H.C.R. No. 92

      75R4850 JHS-D                           

                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives and Senate are

 1-2     proud to recognize February 25, 1997, as Long-Term Care Ombudsman

 1-3     Day in Texas; and

 1-4           WHEREAS, Approximately 96,000 Texans who are elderly and

 1-5     disabled live in and are cared for by the state's 1,160 licensed

 1-6     nursing homes, and many of them  have no family or regular visitors

 1-7     who routinely check to assure that they are receiving the most

 1-8     appropriate care to meet their needs; and

 1-9           WHEREAS, The Texas Department on Aging's ombudsman program

1-10     seeks to fill this void by providing advocacy efforts in behalf of

1-11     long-term care residents; these residents benefit greatly from

1-12     regular contact with the program's trained and certified volunteers

1-13     and often experience a renewed sense of self-esteem as a result;

1-14     and

1-15           WHEREAS, More than 700 individuals have been specially

1-16     trained by the department and by the state's 28 area agencies on

1-17     aging, and these ombudsmen help to enhance residents' quality of

1-18     life and general well-being by promoting regular communication with

1-19     other residents, assisting in complaint resolution, and providing

1-20     information about long-term care facilities; and

1-21           WHEREAS, Thanks to advances in medical technology, Americans

1-22     are living longer, more productive lives, and this trend is

1-23     unlikely to change; as more and more individuals seek quality care

1-24     in their golden years, the need for ombudsman volunteers will

 2-1     become greater, and the dedicated citizens who provide this

 2-2     valuable service are certainly to be commended; now, therefore, be

 2-3     it

 2-4           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

 2-5     hereby designate February 25, 1997, as Long-Term Care Ombudsman Day

 2-6     in Texas and extend sincere thanks to the many generous individuals

 2-7     who volunteer their time to the Texas Department on Aging's

 2-8     ombudsman program.