78R9136 JNC-D

By:  Uresti                                                     H.C.R. No. 193



CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, Approximately 90,000 older Texans live in the 
state's 1,200 licensed assisted living facilities, and many of them 
have no family or regular visitors who routinely check to assure 
that they are receiving the most appropriate care to meet their 
needs; and
	WHEREAS, The Texas Department on Aging's ombudsman program 
seeks to fill this void by providing advocacy efforts in behalf of 
long-term care residents; these residents benefit greatly from 
regular contact with the program's trained and certified volunteers 
and often experience a renewed sense of self-esteem as a result; and
	WHEREAS, More than 800 individuals have been specially 
trained by the department and by the state's 28 area agencies on 
aging, and these ombudsmen help to enhance residents' quality of 
life and general well-being by promoting regular communication with 
other residents, assisting in complaint resolution, and providing 
information about long-term care facilities; and
	WHEREAS, Thanks to advances in medical technology, Americans 
are living longer, more productive lives, and this trend is 
unlikely to change; as more and more individuals seek quality care 
in their golden years, the need for ombudsman volunteers will 
become greater, and the dedicated citizens who provide this 
valuable service are certainly to be commended; now, therefore, be 
it
	RESOLVED, That the 78th Legislature of the State of Texas 
hereby designate April 21, 2003, as Long-Term Care Ombudsman Day in 
Texas and extend sincere thanks to the many generous individuals 
who volunteer their time to the Texas Department on Aging's 
ombudsman program.