Q&A With Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman Salli Pung

As part of our ongoing commitment to helping families across the country understand long term care resources, the Nursing Home Abuse Center was grateful to speak with Salli Pung, Michigan’s State Long Term Care Ombudsman.

Michigan’s Long Term Care Ombudsman Program has served residents since 1972. The program advocates for people living in licensed nursing homes, homes for the aged, and adult foster care homes, with services provided at no cost to residents and families.

Salli brings more than 30 years of experience across Michigan’s long term care system. Her work has included protecting residents during nursing facility closures, supporting long term care policies, and speaking before lawmakers about issues affecting residents statewide.

The Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman program advocates for more than 105,000 long term care residents. Its work is guided by resident choice, consent, and strict confidentiality.

In our latest Q&A, Salli explains what residents and families should know about contacting a nursing home ombudsman.

Q: What kinds of situations make families reach out to a long term care ombudsman for the first time?

A: Typically, families have concerns about the care and services of their loved one. Usually, families have questions and concerns about the resident’s medications, treatment or care plan, therapy services, meals or food service, visitation, billing, or discharge notices.

Q: Who might a resident or family member speak with first when they contact the program?

A: In Michigan, we have a geo-routed number that goes directly to one of our 42 local ombudsmen. The geo-routing is based on the first 6 digits of the caller’s phone number.

If the caller doesn’t reach the ombudsman serving the home of their loved one, the ombudsman will redirect the caller to the correct local ombudsman.

Q: What happens during that first conversation with an ombudsman?

A: The ombudsman will first listen to the caller’s concern. They will then explain our resident-driven program and how we must visit with the resident to seek resident consent before starting any advocacy.

We also ask for consent to identify the caller to the resident and explain that we need consent from the resident to share any information back with the caller.

It’s important for callers to understand that we ask the resident what they want as we help raise the resident’s voice. It’s not our role to determine what is in the resident’s best interest.

Q: Do ombudsmen help only with nursing homes, or do they also help with assisted living and other long term care settings?

A: This varies by state depending on state laws and licensing requirements. In Michigan, long term care ombudsmen have access to residents in nursing homes, adult foster care homes, and licensed homes for the aged.

Often, people are not aware if the home is or isn’t licensed. Our local ombudsman can help clarify the licensure status of the home.

Q: Can a family member contact an ombudsman if the resident has not asked for help directly?

A: Yes, a family member, friend, or any concerned person can reach out to the long term care ombudsman program, but we must seek consent and direction from the resident before taking any action.

Even if the resident has a guardian or legal representative in place, we are still required to meet with the resident to determine if the resident can give direction and consent.

If the resident is not able to consent and give direction, we don’t stop there. We can work at the direction of a legal representative and, in rare situations, the state ombudsman can provide consent for resident advocacy.

Q: Are complaints confidential when someone speaks with an ombudsman in nursing homes?

A: All information maintained by the long term care ombudsman program is confidential. We seek resident consent for whom we can speak to help resolve the concern and for what action the resident wishes us to take on their behalf.

We try to encourage the resident to be part of that advocacy, when possible. We cannot disclose the resident’s name without their consent, and we cannot share case information or details without consent regardless of who is requesting that information.

Q: How often do ombudsmen visit facilities or speak directly with residents?

A: Ombudsmen speak with residents on a daily basis to answer their questions or to provide updates on our advocacy efforts to address the resident’s concerns.

In Michigan, our long term care ombudsmen are in the field 2 or 3 days a week to make visits to the homes for which they are assigned.

We do prioritize complaints related to abuse, neglect, exploitation, or involuntary discharge. If we receive a concern related to one of these issues, the local ombudsman is required to make contact with the resident within the next 2 working days.

Q: What role do trained volunteer ombudsmen play in helping residents?

A: We are so pleased to have dedicated volunteers in the Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. They are trained as designated long term care ombudsmen and carry out many of the tasks of a paid long term care ombudsman.

Volunteers usually are assigned to a small number of homes and make frequent visits. They will visit with residents, make observations while in the home, and may attend a resident council meeting if invited by the residents.

This presence in the home by the volunteer increases awareness of the program and offers residents a familiar face to go to for help if they have unmet needs or concerns.

Q: What can an ombudsman help a resident do that families may not realize?

A: Ombudsmen can help answer questions and educate residents on their rights. Not many people seeking long term care services think about the resident’s rights, which have a huge impact on the resident’s quality of care and quality of life.

Ombudsmen can attend resident council meetings, which are a safe platform for residents to come together to share concerns, ideas, and discuss changes that could improve the resident experience.

Q: What do you wish more people knew about reaching out to an ombudsman for the first time?

A: So often, we hear people say they wish they knew about the program sooner.

We are the only program charged with serving as a resident advocate and have federal authority to support residents in these settings.

In Michigan, ombudsmen are not mandatory reporters for abuse, neglect, or exploitation (ANE). We can only report ANE with resident consent.

If we don’t have consent to report, we follow the resident’s direction on how we can help them during this difficult time. Sometimes it’s as simple as just being a listening ear.

In Michigan, call 866-485-9393 when you have questions, or something doesn’t feel right. Like our casework, these calls are confidential as well. We are a safe place to get answers and help. We are only a phone call away.

In Michigan, you can also visit our website, www.MLTCOP.org, to find the direct phone number for the local ombudsman, learn about resident rights and abuse prevention, review our fact sheets, or access other state and national resources.

Getting Help From a Nursing Home Ombudsman

The team at the Nursing Home Abuse Center would like to thank Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman Salli Pung for taking the time to help families better understand how ombudsmen support residents.

We also want to recognize ombudsman staff and volunteers across the country. These dedicated individuals help residents speak up, understand their rights, and get support when concerns about long term care are hard to handle alone.

If you or a loved one needs help in Michigan, Salli’s team can be reached at the Michigan ombudsman phone number: 866-485-9393.

If you live outside Michigan, every state has a long term care ombudsman program. National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care​’s Get Help tool can help you find the program in your area.