This paper describes a Nursing Home Ombudsman Program, developed to provide employment for the "unemployable" older adult, that hired 19 older adults to work 20 hours per week for a year, providng friendly visits to senior residents living in nursing homes and minimum outreach services to community seniors. A two-week, eight-session orientation program for the ombudsmen is outlined. Inservice training including seminars, lectures, films, and field trips that continued throughout the program is delineated along with a description of individual supervision by the program coordinator. Results of opinionnaires completed at the end of the year by nursing home staff members involved in the program are presented, with evaluations of the ombudsmen in terms of their sensitivity, concern, empathy, communication skills, confidentiality, and other characteristics important to the program. The paper concludes with two observations about the program, i.e., the ombudsmen's sense of personal worth and involvement benefits from their employment, and their good or excellent ratings in the care dimensions of a therapeutic relationship. (NRB)