HJBR Sep/Oct 2025

Advocacy Isn’t Extra. It’s Essential. The stories shared here aren’t rare — they echo across the country every day. In hospitals, nursing facilities, rehab centers, and group homes, the same truth holds: What makes a difference isn’t what went wrong, it’s what became possible when people came together to make it right. When doctors, nurses, social workers, therapists, and ombuds- men collaborate, they can: • Prevent avoidable harm • Preserve dignity and autonomy • Support more personal, purposeful aging journeys • And remind the system that it is about people — not just paperwork. This work takes empathy, partnership, and imagination. But most of all, it takes listening to the one voice that matters most: the resident’s. Let’s keep that voice at the center. Let’s ensure that no one grows older alone. Let’s care, together. n Beverly Gianna holds a master’s of theological studies from Spring Hill College, a master’s of liberal arts from Tulane University, and a master’s of arts in gerontology from the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. She also earned the USC Executive Certificate in Home Modifications. Gianna serves as a long- term care ombudsman in Louisiana, advocating for residents in care facilities, and is a National Center on Elder Abuse Elder Justice Champion board member. She is an active voice for positive aging and community- based solutions and is currently involved in a grassroots effort to make her neighborhood in Uptown New Orleans an All-Age-Friendly Village where “neighbors help neighbors.” Beverly Gianna, MA, MAG Gerontologist Long-Term Care Ombudsman REFERENCES Administration for Community Living. (n.d.). “Older Americans Act.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://acl.gov/about-acl/ authorizing-statutes/older-americans-act. Carlson, J. “Understanding Capacity in Older Adults.” 2021. National Center on Law and Elder Rights. https://ncler.acl.gov . “Guidance to Surveyors for Long Term Care Facilities.” July 23, 2025. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). https://www.cms.gov/Regulations- and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/downloads/som107ap_pp_guidelines_ ltcf.pdf. “Resident Rights in Nursing Homes.” National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care. (n.d.). https://theconsumervoice.org/issues/recipients/ nursing-home-residents/rights (page no longer available). “Ombudsman Program Basics.” National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center. (n.d.). https://ltcombudsman.org. “About Administration for Community Living.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://acl.gov. COMING UP IN THE SERIES The Workforce Puzzle A look into the national workforce shortage in aging services — and what healthcare leaders can do to support, sustain, and elevate the essential workers who make aging with dignity possible.