The Ombudsman program advocates for nursing home and assisted living facilities and is authorized by state and federal laws. Click for more information.
The Older Americans Act of 1978 officially brought the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program to each state in the United States of America. A requirement for every Area Agency on Aging, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman is a resident advocate who works to identify, investigate, and resolve problems related to health, safety, welfare, and rights of individuals living in Nursing Homes or Assisted Living Facilities. The program trains and certifies its own staff and volunteers who then go on to serve those in these long-term care settings; furthermore, long-term care ombudsmen support and assist in the development of family and resident councils. To further promote quality of care, the program seeks to coordinate professionals’ advocacy through organizations that are interested in long-term care and elderly rights issues and regulatory agencies.
To become a certified volunteer ombudsman, prospective candidates will receive certification training from a professional staff ombudsman and must complete a 60 day internship. Once certified, volunteer ombudsmen will be required to complete yearly continuing education. For more information, please visit:
https://apps.hhs.texas.gov/news_info/ombudsman/
For any questions, or if you need Ombudsman assistance, you can reach out to our local Ombudsmen:
You can report a Nursing Home or Assisted Living Facility for rights violations, concerns for care, and other complaints/incidents at this link.
This link takes you to CMS Medicare, which will allow you to find and research nursing homes anywhere. It will give you a comprehensive understanding of ratings, recent citations, and surveys.
This link allows you to research all different types of care; from Assisted Livings, to Nursing Homes, to Hospice Providers. This will tell you about citations, fines, and overall facility construction with regard to type of care provided.
Use this link to report an outside provider, family member, or other entity besides the facility for incidents of Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation.
Take an empowering first step by learning more about the changes you may experience, and what to do next to move forward with your life. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or another dementia, you can continue living well by empowering yourself the right information and resource. Check out the resources provided by the Alzheimer's Association to learn more about what to expect and how they are contributing to furthering research.
Looking for an Ombudsman, but not for Long-Term Care?
Texas Department of Criminal Justice Independent Ombudsman
State Supported Living Center Independent Ombudsman
Managed Care (Medicaid) Ombudsman
Medicare Ombudsman
Kepro (Appeals and Denials)
...and More Here!