A free two-day training for prospective ombudsman volunteers will be offered at the Long Term Care Authority of Enid Area Agency on Aging.

The training will be held 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 13-14 at 202 W. Broadway in Enid.

“Many, many residents of nursing homes receive no visitors at all,” David Huff, ombudsman supervisor with the Long Term Care Authority of Enid, said.

“Loneliness is really one of the most common emotions that ombudsmen encounter as they visit and get to know residents of the home they visit.”

The State Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, part of Aging Services Division of OKDHS, trains and supervises volunteer ombudsmen who visit the residents of a nursing home for two hours per week, helping with problems or concerns when possible.

The mere act of visiting is of great value to many residents, Huff said.

“Though this is a volunteer endeavor, the ombudsman actually gets very valuable pay,” Huff said. “The look on someone’s face when they tell you that your visit has made their day is priceless. Furthermore, we get to meet people who have had very interesting lives. Unfortunately, lots of people see the elderly and just pigeon-hole them as old, instead of as people who have great stories and, in many cases, great wisdom.”

Anyone interested in becoming an ombudsman volunteer, or simply desiring to learn more about nursing home life, laws, and residents’ rights is welcome to attend this training.

RSVP to Huff at 580-237-2236. An RSVP is appreciated but not required, he added.

The LTCA of Enid covers a nine-county area, including Kingfi sher County.