My name is Melissa Flaherty, and I am the Stanislaus Ombudsman Coordinator. I have eleven years of experience working in the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program.  The Ombudsman program advocates for residents living in skilled nursing facilities and residential care communities for elderly. As Coordinator, my responsibilities includes investigation and resolution of complaints on behalf of residents. In addition, I manage the day-to-day operation of the Ombudsman Program. This involves supervising staff and volunteers, educating the community, providing in-services to facility staff, facilitating presentations at resident council meetings, focusing on topics such as, Ombudsman Program, Residents’ Rights and Mandated Reporting. Elder Abuse Prevention is an area where I dedicate my time educating the community by doing outreaches for elder abuse, prevention and awareness. More recently, I have been nominated to be a CLTCOA Board of Directors member at large.