The coronavirus not only deprived residents in senior living facilities of visits from their family members, but monthly visits from professionals known as ombudsmen, who deal with resident and family concerns.

But monthly visits by ombudsmen are returning to senior living facilities across Butler County.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, every senior living facility in Butler County that receives state funding got a monthly visit from an ombudsman, a public official who acts as an ally and liaison between residents, staff and higher-ups.

Wendy Hooks, an ombudsman coordinator with the Butler County Area Agency on Aging, said many facilities kept up at least semiregular appointments with an ombudsman throughout the pandemic. She said the state Department of Aging recently reopened all facilities to ombudsmen, allowing for more consistent communication.

“In Butler we have always done monthly visits because we want to be more visible,” Hooks said. “We have been hitting a quarterly mark, but we are going to try to get back into our monthly mark so we are back on track to where we like to be.”

Hooks discussed the updates to the ombudsman program at the March meeting of the Area Agency on Aging and said some facilities still are in the process of stripping down their COVID-19 visitation policies, which some residents have expressed frustration with.

Hooks said the presence of an ombudsman, or a volunteer ombudsman, can give residents of senior living facilities an ally to confide their concerns in, who can then be a voice to administrators. Previously, they were also mandated reporters of abuse, but Hooks said an ombudsman now can only report abuse if a resident asks them to.

Vanessa Gussey is one of the two ombudsmen with the Butler County Area Agency on Aging. She communicates with residents of senior living facilities and relays comments to the staff and administrators.

While her work is state-mandated, Gussey said her role can be especially helpful to seniors who have a difficult time communicating, as well as those who recently moved into an assisted living facility for the first time and don’t know their rights.

“What an ombudsman wants to do is to advocate for the people who can't,” Gussey said. “It's always nice to empower and educate people and they refer to us.”

Gary Renwick, executive operations officer at Newhaven Court, said Gussey has provided monthly visits to the Center Township facility for at least five years. He said the visit from an ombudsman and his process is welcomed by residents.

“She does a walk-through of the building and interacts with staff and residents, and asks about their life there,” Renwick said. “They can come in any time, any day, see any resident and see any staff. Because we are licensed through the Department of Human Services, that is a service that is required.”

Renwick has mostly heard compliments relayed from residents by Gussey and the volunteer ombudsmen who visit Newhaven Court, aside from the food complaints that he said are frequent in any senior living facility.

Because communications from residents and staff through an ombudsman are confidential, Renwick said the program can help resolve conflict without causing “grumbles.”

“To have a person that comes in from the outside that is unbiased, I think it's really beneficial,” Renwick said. “To have that added layer of support, or if they feel apprehensive to come to me — I don't want anything to not be resolved.”

Hooks said ombudsmen also field concerns from family members of a facility resident, so they can meet with someone in need more immediately.

Samantha Rapuk, executive director of Lutheran SeniorLife, said Gussey is helpful in speaking to family members of a resident in the facility, because complaints can come from the outside, as well.

“She's very good at mediating those talks,” Rapuk said. “She’s an impartial person. If we are having an issue with families, she can help talk to them for a resident.”

Dena Cercone, 96, has lived in Lutheran SeniorLife St. John Community for six years, and said she feels security in knowing the function of an ombudsman.

“She is there for you,” Cercone said. “It's nice to know somebody is there for you.”

Hooks said at the March Agency on Aging meeting that the ombudsmen are working on integrating a peer program, aptly titled Pennsylvania's Empowered Expert Residents (PEER), which is meant to help residents and staff of senior living facilities better support one another.

The PEER empowerment training is a five-part series residents can complete to be equipped to help their fellow residents improve day-to-day life in long-term care facilities, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Aging.

“They learn the essentials to self-resolve issues or concerns to help others in their facility,” Gussey said. “They understand those residents’ rights and how to advocate for themselves and other residents.”

Hooks said building a community of support within assisted living facilities can keep residents from facing negative effects of reporting complaints or issues.

“Retaliation is the No. 1 fear,” Hooks said. “Nobody will say anything because they are afraid it’s going to get worse ... We’ll ask 10 people about it, and then we can approach staff.”

Ombudsmen attempt to meet with as many residents and staff members of senior living facilities as possible, Gussey said, so they can feel more comfortable in their homes.

“We just really try to make our presence known and our phone numbers known to make sure everybody knows who we are,” Hooks said.

For more information on Butler County’s ombudsman program, call 724-282-3008.