We at the Napa Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program would like to thank the Napa Valley Register and reporter David Ryan for the excellent series of articles on Napa's nursing homes, the residents of those homes, and the Ombudsman Program. Too often our nursing home residents are forgotten once they are placed in a facility. Their stories were sensitively presented and highlighted by absolutely beautiful photographs by Andrea Roth. Thank you.

I need to make one important clarification. While the information available to the public from the Department of Health Services is often old news by the time the written reports get to our office, we are nevertheless always up to date on what is actually happening in the skilled nursing facilities in Napa. Anyone who wants information can find out exactly what is going on in each home by talking with someone at our office. Our staff and volunteers visit weekly, sometimes more often. We are available 24 hours a day, five days a week at our office at 1443 Main St. #125, 255-4236, and other times at the state hotline, 1-800-231-4024. The state office will contact us in case of an emergency regardless of when it happens. We have knowledge in a wide range of fields and can suggest other agencies or people for help if necessary. Our job is to be available for the residents in long-term care facilities and their families at all times, to support them in self-advocacy and advocate for them if necessary.

Thank you for highlighting the work of Jane Snowden in your articles. Jane was honored last year by the Area Agency on Aging Serving Napa-Solano for her 20 years of service advocating for residents in long-term care facilities. She continues to amaze us all with her dedication and boundless energy. One resident left a message on our machine this week. "I love you Jane," she said. That says it all.

Pat Anderson is one of our newer field ombudsmen. She has shown tremendous compassion and concern for the residents she visits at Napa Nursing Center.

Another ombudsman, Jerry Peterson, went above and beyond during the closure last year of Pleasant Care, spending long hours protecting the rights and health of the residents, going so far as to visit each one in his or her new facility, many far from Napa. She helped mitigate what could have been a major catastrophe for the residents. It was still traumatic, but made less so by her advocacy efforts. Retiring ombudsman Tom Doyle was named this year's Volunteer of the Year for his efforts during the 12 years of his ombudsman work. During his last 6 months alone, Tom spent 90 hours making 60 visits to Sierra Vista Nursing Home and seeing almost 4,000 residents. Sometimes Tom went in costume, and he always brightened the lives of everyone simply with his presence. Our other ombudsmen include businessmen, a medical technologist, retired teachers, nurses and doctors. They work each month to bring help and dignity to residents in long-term care. It is not an easy volunteer job. The training is difficult and comprehensive, and the work itself can be emotional and draining. Sometimes we get discouraged, seeing the same problems week after week. We ask ourselves, "Why don't they get it?" But we try and take satisfaction in knowing that we have helped that one resident or that one family on that one day. That's all any of us can do.

If any of your readers has a question about the long-term care facilities in Napa County, including both skilled nursing and residential care facilities (assisted living and board and care homes), we can be reached at the numbers above. We also receive reports of suspected elder abuse in those facilities. The laws regarding reporting and investigating will not be changed anytime soon, maybe not at all. We are continuing to serve as the advocates for all residents in long-term care. All of our services are free and confidential. We are, however, a nonprofit, and gratefully accept and acknowledge donations. We recently were honored to be the recipients of the proceeds from a weekend performance at the White Barn in St. Helena. Thank you Nancy Garden.

So thank you to all our ombudsmen for their stellar efforts advocating for residents. Thanks to the caregivers who work so hard and to the facilities which provide such good homes. Thanks to all our residents for providing such inspiration to all of us. And thank you to your paper, Andrea Roth and David Ryan for a beautiful series highlighting our residents and the Ombudsman Program. May we all have a healthy, happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year.

(Mautner is program coordinator at Napa Long Term Care Ombudsman Program.)