A long-term care Ombudsman is an advocate for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
They’re trained to provide information about finding a facility and what to do to get quality care, make referrals, educate families and staff, mediate, and help resolve problems. This is all done confidentially, until or unless given permission for resident concerns to be shared with appropriate parties.
An ombudsman also assures the resident is being treated with dignity and respect, teaches awareness of abuse and neglect, and assists in promotion of culture change through initiatives and councils related to resident well-being.
The word “ombudsman” is a Swedish term that means “speaks on another’s behalf.”
Under the Older Americans Act, every state is required to have an Ombudsman Program that advocates for improvements in the long-term care system. As such, we have two Regional Ombudsman on staff at Young at Heart Resources. Contact our office to connect today.