She also finished her internship with us for the Fall 2015 semester. She preforms weekly home visits to her matched clients with passion and dedication. Please join us in helping to recognize this very special volunteer and the incredible contribution she makes on a daily basis to improve the quality of life for those individual living in long term care facilities in Orange County.Ĭeline has been a Caring Connections Friendly Visitor Volunteer for almost two years. Not only would we miss her, but all of the residents she so aptly advocates for would suffer a great loss. Michele has become such an asset to the ombudsman program that it would be hard to imagine how we could get along without her and we hope that doesn’t happen for a very long time. Michele is also a very integral part of the Council on Aging’s Smilemaker Guild which provides thousands of gifts for residents during the holidays. Her compassion with callers is phenomenal, plus she actually understands the system and rarely hangs up on anyone. She often will come in to help answer phones if we need coverage. Speaking of her peers, Michele is always available to help cover facilities for ombudsmen who are going on vacation (the joys of being a volunteer!) or need to take some time away for other reasons. One of Michele’s most endearing qualities is that she recognizes that the learning curve of being an ombudsman is infinite and her questions are often insightful and helpful to her peers as well. Michele took her “job” very seriously and has continued to be an amazing advocate who often goes above and beyond. Michele took the proverbial bull by the horns and began the journey of learning about the “good, bad and ugly” of navigating the world of advocating for those residing in facilities which often forget that those in the beds are people with rights and deserving of dignity. Once we realized what a gift she was to our program we asked her to step up and become the ombudsman at a large assisted living facility and nursing home, which is usually reserved for the more experienced ombudsman. As the need for more coverage of facilities grew, Michele was ready and willing to take more facilities, regardless of location. ![]() When Michele first began as an ombudsman she was assigned to several small residential care facilities for the elderly and it became quite apparent that her concern for and commitment to the residents was boundless. She is always prompt with all the required paperwork, and it is complete and legible. She is always willing to take on another assignment and help out wherever she is needed. Michele Sooy has been a tried and true volunteer for the Council on Aging, even before she became a state certified ombudsman in April, 2014. Honored by: Council on Aging – Orange County She exemplifies the Spirit of Volunteerism. This is why I am nominating Judy for this honor. She is a very positive individual with a golden heart. If I can make people feel comfortable and relaxed about something, then I am a happy camper!” Judy provides individualized counseling to seniors at Lakeview Senior Center in Irvine, and she regularly answers questions about Medicare in the HICAP Call Center. When asked recently, why she volunteers, this is what she said, “To me, being a HICAP Counselor means I get the opportunity to be in service and help others by sharing VERY important information about Medicare which helps ease the confusion and anxiety that so many people feel. Judy jumped right in, right from the start! She epitomizes what you would want in a volunteer. She has been very enthusiastically involved and it seems that she has been here longer. Judy Grant has been a registered HICAP Counselor, helping seniors navigate the Medicare system for our HICAP Program (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program) for almost two years. ![]() ![]() Honored by: Council on Aging/HICAP Program
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