Protecting Human Dignity. Member Spotlight: Elizabeth Taylor Thompson

Elizabeth Taylor Thompson has been working as an ombudsman for the elderly and mediator for women in Spanish speaking communities in Texas for several years. Her overall purpose and mission are around what she does. She studied the Harvard Mediation method and has since undergone further mediation, facilitation and dialogue training. She started her practice, Texas Medaitor LLC, in 2016 and has since been taking on pro-bono cases in both the Dallas and Collin County Court Systems.

The Internet of Things

 In Texas, she is part of a new pilot program on virtual mediation where she has been advocating for its continued and expanded use, “When you are online, borders are irrelevant,” she stated. She had asked several judges what they had thought about the pilot program and has been receiving a lot of resistance. In some cases, people were intimidated by the program or embarrassed due to their lack of skills of comfort with online applications. After her mediation training from Harvard, she noticed that many of her female colleagues were having difficulty accessing clients and she noted that with online services, not only does it give you confidence in your practices, but those barriers are eliminated. Elizabeth is also a member of the Internet Bar whose mandate is to facilitate online legal services. She truly sees AI and deep learning as the way forward.

Advocating for the Elderly

Elizabeth is an ombudswoman for patients in nursing homes throughout Dallas, Texas. Her role is to be a liaison between those in need of care and the administration of the residence. She works hard to identify their needs and concerns and improve their quality of care, while also reminding the residence that they do have dignity. “Some of them don’t think that they deserve a blanket, they don’t want to bother anyone. It is not my job as an ombudsman to be a voice, but it is my job to be their voice, it’s about them. As an Ombudsman, I get to listen, I get to advocate for dignity so that they know that they have a voice and I’m their voice, I’m their watchdog,” she said with a beaming smile.

She highlighted that the administrators at the nursing homes also need to be heard as well. “The investigations that we do are helping change policy in regards to how nursing homes are managed.” She recognizes that there is definitely a need for more ombudsman at the state level and federally, “What happens is when we leave the abuse begins and we can’t keep up with it.” Although the situation seems grim at times she assures that “I go in and I come out empowered. Because I know that this is my purpose.” Elizabeth has found her calling and thoroughly enjoys the work she is doing. A forward thinker, she notes that elder mediation is going to become a large area of practice over the next few years.

Bringing Technology to Them

In the nursing homes she visits, she has started taking her tablet with her and showing residents how to use online applications and learn basic computer literacy. She dreams of one day having tech nooks in nursing homes where residents can access Skype, borrow a cell phone to make a call or even just to play games online. She notes that there are many programs for children such as toys for tots, but that the elderly are often completely forgotten and pushed aside. “Children and the elderly are two different generations that have a great need. Why isn’t there a celebration for them? A tree of knowledge or wisdom. They are so super lonely.” She wants to spread awareness for this abandoned generation.

Currently, Elizabeth is working on a book about cultures and biases at the mediation table and preparing to launch her new project “Mediator on Demand”. This is an area where she sees a need for more competencies and skills. When she is not advocating for elderly rights, she devotes her time to teaching youth and young adults life skills, such as critical thinking and emotional intelligence, at a local private school. She is also one of the organizers for the MBBI Congress 2021 in Quito, Ecuador.

Article by Kylea Shropshire, MBBI Writer