Nursing Home Ombudsman

What Is an Ombudsman for Nursing Home Abuse?

A nursing home ombudsman — also known as a long-term care ombudsman (LTC ombudsman) — is a public official who works to resolve resident issues in nursing facilities. Residents can bring complaints or concerns to an ombudsman, who will then work to find solutions on their behalf.

Nursing home ombudsman services include:

• Collecting data on elder abuse rates
• Creating family council and citizen advocacy groups dedicated to ending elder abuse
• Explaining the rights of residents to ensure good care
• Helping seniors file complaints with other agencies (like Medicare/Medicaid) if needed
• Holding caregivers (like nursing home staff) accountable for elder abuse or neglect
• Investigating claims of elder abuse against residents of long-term care facilities
• Listening to victims and families who have suffered abuse
• Organizing volunteer events to protect older adults
• Producing an annual report of program activities
• Working with law enforcement, the local department of health, and other area agencies

Talking to an ombudsman is a wise step if you or a loved one is suffering from nursing home abuse or neglect.

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What Does an Ombudsman Do in a Nursing Home?

Ombudsman nursing home programs do many things to protect older people against nursing home abuse.

According to data from 2017, ombudsman nursing home programs:

• Resolved over 201,000 complaints from residents and family members
• Resolved 73% of complaints to full or partial satisfaction of residents
• Provided information and aid to over 402,000 people
• Provided over 127,000 consultations to long-term care facility managers, staff, and volunteers
• Visited 68% of all nursing homes to help residents, train staff, and inform residents of their rights

Learn more about ombudsman nursing home services below.

Working With Residents and Families

An ombudsman can check in with nursing home residents and address any issues or concerns.

Complaints can range from food quality to possible cases of nursing home neglect or abuse.

Ombudsmen can create accessibility for family members of older residents who cannot speak up for themselves due to dementia or other disabilities.

All complaints an ombudsman receives are confidential unless the resident or family member gives permission otherwise. This means issues can be addressed without fear of staff retaliation.

Were You or a Loved One Abused or Neglected?

Take Our Nursing Home Abuse Quiz

While many elders face health problems as they age, they should never have to suffer from abuse or neglect. Take this quiz to help you identify possible signs of nursing home abuse and learn about next steps.

Let's Begin:

Who may have suffered nursing home abuse or neglect?

Myself

Family

Friend

Other

Nursing Home Abuse Quiz for:

Question 1

Do your requests for help from staff ever go unanswered for long spans of time?

Yes

No

Question 2

Is medical care hard to access?

Yes

No

Question 3

Do nurses, doctors, and other staff treat you badly or without respect?

Yes

No

Question 4

Have you fallen frequently while living in the nursing home?

Yes

No

Question 5

Have you ever been screamed at or belittled by a staff member or another resident?

Yes

No

Question 6

Have you ever been hit, kicked, bit, or otherwise physically harmed by a staff member or another resident?

Yes

No

Question 7

Have you experienced unwanted touching, groping, or other forms of contact from staff members or visitors?

Yes

No

Question 8

Have your personal items (contacts, hearing aids, credit cards, checks, etc.) ever gone missing?

Yes

No

Question 9

Do you have to wait a long time (several days) for staff to help you wash your body, clothes, or bedsheets?

Yes

No

Question 10

Have you developed serious health problems (infections, bedsores, etc.) while living at the nursing home?

Yes

No

Question 1

Have you noticed any strange changes in the resident since they moved into a nursing home?

Yes

No

Question 2

Does the resident have any injuries (cuts, broken bones, bruises, etc.)?

Yes

No

Question 3

Has the resident complained about the quality of care they’re receiving in the nursing home?

Yes

No

Question 4

Does the resident appear more sad, angry, or confused than normal?

Yes

No

Question 5

Has the resident suffered from repeated falls while at the nursing home?

Yes

No

Question 6

Is the resident’s body, clothing, or bed sheets often dirty?

Yes

No

Question 7

Has the resident developed any serious health problems (infections, bedsores, etc.) while living at the nursing home?

Yes

No

Question 8

Have you noticed any signs of sexual abuse (STDs, injuries around genitals, inappropriate relationships with other residents or staff)?

Yes

No

Question 9

Have you noticed other residents or staff getting angry or yelling?

Yes

No

Question 10

Did the resident pass away while living in or shortly after living in a nursing home?

Yes

No

Question 1

Does anything seem strange when you visit the facility (unfriendly staff/residents, dirty beds or rooms, etc.)?

Yes

No

Question 2

Has the resident complained about the quality of care they’re receiving in the nursing home?

Yes

No

Question 3

Has the resident’s mood recently changed for the worse (new onset of fear, depression, and/or anxiety)?

Yes

No

Question 4

Does the resident have any injuries (cuts, broken bones, bruises, etc.) or appear unclean (dirty hair/clothes/skin)?

Yes

No

Question 5

Has the resident suffered from repeated falls while at the facility?

Yes

No

Question 6

Have you noticed any signs of sexual abuse (STDs, injuries around genitals, and/or inappropriate relationships with other residents or staff)?

Yes

No

Question 7

Has the resident developed any serious health problems (infections, bedsores, etc.) while living at the nursing home?

Yes

No

Question 8

Do the resident’s family members only visit on rare occasions?

Yes

No

Question 9

Did the resident pass away while living in or shortly after living in a nursing home?

Yes

No

Question 10

Have you brought your concerns to the attention of the resident’s family members, friends, or authorities?

Yes

No

Question 1

Does anything seem strange when you visit the facility (unfriendly staff/other residents, unkempt bedding or rooms, etc.)?

Yes

No

Question 2

Does the resident appear withdrawn, agitated, or confused?

Yes

No

Question 3

Does the resident have any injuries (cuts, broken bones, bruises, etc.) or appear unclean (dirty hair/clothes/skin)?

Yes

No

Question 4

Does the resident have a serious health problem (bedsore, infection, untreated injury, etc.) that doesn’t seem to be getting addressed?

Yes

No

Question 5

Has the resident suffered from repeated falls while at the facility?

Yes

No

Question 6

Do staff members and other personnel seem concerned for the resident’s well-being?

Yes

No

Question 7

Does the facility seem well-kept (clean rooms, hallways, restrooms, and dining areas)?

Yes

No

Question 8

Do the resident’s friends and family members only visit occasionally?

Yes

No

Question 9

Did the resident pass away while living in or shortly after living in a nursing home?

Yes

No

Question 10

Have you brought your concerns to the attention of the resident’s family members, friends, or authorities?

Yes

No

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Results

From your answers, we’ve noted possible signs of nursing home abuse or neglect.

This quiz is meant to help you better understand possible signs of abuse to keep you and your loved one safe.

If you are concerned that nursing home abuse or neglect is taking place, contact our team right now. We can assess your case and recommend next steps. Chat with us or call (855) 264-6310.

We can connect you with top nursing home abuse law firms.

Start My Free Case Review

*This result does not guarantee that you or your loved one has suffered from nursing home abuse. Call 911 if your loved one is in immediate danger.

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Holding Abusive Nursing Homes Responsible

After receiving a complaint, an ombudsman can take concrete steps to solve residents’ problems. This includes reporting nursing home abuse to administrators or the proper legal channels.

“Federal law gives each nursing home resident the right to quality care and quality of life. This includes freedom from neglect, abuse, exploitation, and misappropriation of property.”

– The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care Fact Sheet

By reporting cases of abuse, ombudsman nursing home advocates can help change how nursing homes operate, improve residents’ quality of life, and stop elder abuse.

For example, a facility might fire abusive staff and create new rules to keep residents safe after an ombudsman explains that residents are being abused.

The ombudsman may also recommend legal options to protect residents who are suffering.

Improving Elder Care Through Ombudsman Nursing Home Services

Beyond addressing individual complaints, ombudsmen also improve the quality of care all elders receive in nursing homes. They do this by visiting nursing homes and making suggestions to help residents.

“Our bread and butter, what we do every day, is visit facilities, talk and meet with residents, get to know them, build trust and rapport with them, then gather information as to what their concerns are about.”

– Patricia Hunter, MSW
Nursing Home Ombudsman

By visiting a nursing home, ombudsmen may improve the standard of care since staff members know they are being monitored by a third party. During these visits, ombudsmen can also look for possible signs of nursing home abuse and neglect.

Further, an ombudsman can inform residents of their rights while they live in a nursing home and help families create care plans.

Here are some helpful topics on what to do next.

Report Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

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Working With Government Agencies

Nursing home ombudsman programs are run by the national Administration on Aging (AoA) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL).

Because of this, an ombudsman must work closely with government departments at the local, state, and national levels to keep older people safe.

All ombudsmen in care homes and assisted living facilities enter their records from each visit into the National Ombudsman Reporting System (NORS).

This system stores data on:

• How many facilities have been visited
• How many hours have been spent in each facility
• What kinds of complaints have been handled or resolved

As part of their reports, ombudsmen note which complaints are common, which ones are the most severe, and where elder care falls short in specific facilities.

The data that ombudsmen collect helps government officials address systemic issues that affect older people across the country.

When Is a Nursing Home Ombudsman Used?

Residents and families may need to work with an ombudsman if they can’t solve issues by working directly with nursing home staff or administrators.

“No question is too big or small. The beauty of the ombudsman program is that we’re a jack of all trades.”

– Patricia Hunter, MSW,
Nursing Home Ombudsman

If the care facility does not resolve the problem, residents or loved ones can contact the AoA. The AoA will then assign an ombudsman to help the resident.

How Do I Contact My Local Nursing Home Ombudsman?

You can find contact information for an ombudsman for assisted living in your area through the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center’s list of ombudsmen.

This site provides names, phone numbers, and addresses for every state’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP).

How to Get Help From a Nursing Home Ombudsman

You can contact your local office to get help from an ombudsman nursing home program. A staff member or volunteer can help advocate for residents who have suffered elder abuse or neglect. They can also help investigate the situation.

However, for more urgent matters, you may wish to contact your local Adult Protective Services (APS) office. You should always call 911 in any emergency.

In situations of nursing home abuse or neglect, you may be able to seek legal assistance from a skilled nursing home abuse lawyer instead.

By taking legal action, your family can:

• Find closure after nursing home abuse or neglect
• Get financial compensation for health care costs and other expenses
• Hold abusive nursing facility staff and other care providers accountable

Get a free legal case review to start the process.