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December, 2016 / January 2017 Senior Focus
Everett retiree helps keep vulnerable adults safe Senior Spotlight Someone We’d Like You to Meet…
By Teri Baker Gene Underwood knows what it’s like to worry about whether a beloved family member is getting good care when you can’t care for him or her yourself. In 2001 his father suffered a stroke while crawling under his house to fix a pipe. Gene and his wife, Lois, brought him to live with them for a year and a half until he required more care than they could give him. They moved him to an adult family home and made sure he was in a comfortable, healthy environment. Gene winces and says, “It was hard to see him go downhill.”
Nine years after his father died, Gene heard the Snohomish County Long Term Care and Aging Ombudsman Program needed volunteers. Watching out for vulnerable adults fit right in with who Gene is. Gene went through the interview process and four days of required training where he learned about residents’ rights in adult family homes, assisted living facilities and nursing homes under state direction. His training covered working in homes licensed for specialties such as mental health, dementia and physically disabled and/or developmentally disabled. Gene, 72, serves as an ombudsman in adult family homes in Everett and South Snohomish County. Residents range from age 18 to 100. He makes welfare
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checks and introduces the program to residents and facility owners. He started out visiting 10 facilities every month, but now tries to do more. “There are 450 adult family homes with up to six residents each. That’s about 7,000 beds,” he says. “You can see why we need more volunteers.” Because he knows his advocacy can make life better for resiGene Underwood (L) visits local adult family homes to dents, he’s seri- meet with residents where he engages in a friendly conous about doing versation to ensure their rights are safeguarded. what’s necessary to safeguard their rights, whether up on them and the facilities,” the it’s making sure someone gets a Everett retiree says. “I let them wheelchair, ensuring residents know I’m there to give them somehave activities available to them one to talk to. When others are or uncovering abuse. around, they may say everything When he arrives, Gene makes is fine; but if I feel something it a point to observe cleanliness, isn’t quite right, I’ll go back and odors, caregiver behavior, general find out their true feelings and surroundings and the residents help them understand they have themselves. He calls the families rights. Anything they can do at if he finds something of concern. home they can do here.” For the many residents who don’t Gene says he’s been in some have a family, there are mecha- great adult family homes and nisms in place to address any some that don’t need much to problems. make them better, but he has also “We always go in unannounced. seen some pretty severe cases of Residents need someone to check CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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