What Is an Ombudsman?

When things go wrong with a product, contract, or service, it often feels like you have no recourse for a remedy. Actually, there are always options to find a resolution, but sometimes, that means tapping into the support provided by an ombudsman. As the Ombuds Association describes it, “Organizational ombuds work with individuals and groups in an organization to (1) provide a safe space to talk about an issue or concern, (2) explore options to help resolve conflicts, and (3) bring systemic concerns to the attention of the organization for resolution.”

Back in the day, the ombudsman was more concerned with local operations. For instance, if you had potholes on your street or the garbage wasn’t being collected, you could go to your local ombudsman, and they would know who to contact directly at the city to get the problem solved. Another way to look at the ombudsman is as a free advocate who can help direct you toward a resolution for a problem. Specifically, you can find an ombudsman to help you and your family deal with any issues you might have with a nursing home where your loved one is a resident.

Ombudsman for Nursing Home Abuse

A nursing home ombudsman is also known as a long-term care ombudsman (LTC ombudsman). Each state has its own version of a LTC program. This is a public official whose mission is to resolve resident issues in nursing home facilities. It is difficult to imagine that the facility you’ve entrusted to care for your loved one would neglect them. However, nearly every nursing home facility must contend with staff shortages that can put a strain on the level of care they provide.

According to data collected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, several thousand complaints are filed each year. For instance, in Illinois, the number of complaints was 5,749. In Ohio, the number was 4,465, and in Missouri, it was 4,284. How can the ombudsman help with these complaints? Consider the following options.

Assist Residents and Families With Complaints

A nursing home ombudsman is an objective listener that doesn’t work for nursing homes. That makes them the ideal person to share your concerns and complaints you might have about a nursing home. Even if your loved one is dealing with dementia challenges and can’t speak for themselves, what you present to the ombudsman can be addressed. The following are some of the common complaint areas that an ombudsman can help with:

• Dignity and respect
• Eviction
• Food services
• Medication problems
• Personal hygiene
• Personal property
• Physical abuse
• Response to requests for assistance
• General neglect

Presenting a complaint to an ombudsman is confidential unless the resident or family member grants consent to share who filed the complaint. That means you might see a fellow resident who has a problem that you could report to your ombudsman without fear of retribution.

Direct Enhanced Care

When an ombudsman takes on a complaint review, it will often involve an on-site inspection of the nursing home. Those visits can put the nursing home staff on notice and encourage them to make changes to resolve the issue. They can also reveal any other concerns that should also be addressed. Even though the ombudsman does not have the authority to issue citations or levy fines, they would certainly be in a position to direct the proper agencies to address those issues.

Provide Supportive Documentation

The ombudsman will also have access to previous complaints for a particular agency. Those records can establish a pattern of neglect that you might need if you take your complaints to an experienced nursing home abuse attorney. The information the ombudsman collects from a nursing home is also shared with the various government agencies tasked with overseeing these facilities.

When to Speak to a Nursing Home Ombudsman

Your nursing home ombudsman does not have to be the first person to contact when you have a complaint. That complaint should be discussed directly with the nursing home management. This will give them the opportunity to resolve the complaint without it escalating. However, there might be a situation where the facility doesn’t accept responsibility or take measures to address your concerns. That is when you want to contact your ombudsman.

While the ombudsman investigates the complaint and deals with the nursing home, you might consider speaking to a qualified attorney. There could be issues of neglect that need to be resolved through a civil complaint. Your attorney might eventually coordinate a response with the ombudsman. The goal should be to ensure your loved one is being cared for, and if compensation is needed, it should also be resolved.