Volunteer Debbie Stacy

For Debbie Stacy, being an Ombudsman is a blessing. For forty years, I practiced as a Registered Nurse following in my mother’s footsteps. In visiting Mom, I became acquainted with several of her fellow residents and shared my time visiting with them.  When Mom passed away in 2018, I missed that interaction with the residents.  I had a good friend who was volunteering as an Ombudsman in Nevada, Missouri.  She had approached me before about volunteering also as an Ombudsman, but I was working full-time. I retired from Nursing in 2019 and my friend approached me once again about volunteering as an Ombudsman. This time I quickly took her up on it starting as an Ombudsman in 2020.  I truly loved visiting residents once again at the assisted living facility as their Ombudsman where my mother had resided for 7 years.  Then on August 31, 2022, I was just leaving after visiting the residents at the assisted living facility, I had a serious medical emergency in the parking lot of the facility.  Facility Staff rushed to my assistance and began CPR.  I was life flighted to a major hospital and remained hospitalized for approximately 6 weeks due to an anoxic brain injury and heart failure.  During my outpatient therapy, my therapy team and I set the goal that I would fight every challenge to drive again and return to my Ombudsman work.  By the Grace of GOD, my husband’s loving care, treatment by my medical and rehabilitation teams, and my determination, I returned to my Ombudsman duties in April 2023.  I am truly blessed and enjoy being back, connecting with the residents, actively listening to them, and providing a pathway for assistance in resolving resident issues, with their approval.