Ombudsman and Resident Rights Training

1. Ombudsman and Resident Rights Training Natalie Nathan, MHS, certificate in Gerontology Area 3 senior services agency

2. History of the Ombudsman Program • The word “Ombudsman” is a Swedish word meaning citizen advocate • Resident advocate • Reports of substandard conditions at facilities in the late 60’s and early 70’s led to the development of the Ombudsman Program in the United States • These are the stigmas many facilities are still fighting against today • Amendments to the Older Americans Act continue to improve the program’s ability to advocate on behalf of residents of long term care facilities • Including assisted living facilities

3. History of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP)

4. What does the Ombudsman Program do? • Advocate and support resident concerns and complaints • RESIDENT directed • Help improve residents’ quality of life • Educate residents, their family and facility staff about resident rights • Provide information to the public on long-term care facilities and services, residents' rights and community resources • Help resolve complaints made by or on behalf of long-term care residents • Systemic change

5. What Ombudsman Programs cannot do • Conduct licensing and regulatory inspections or investigations • Perform Adult Protective Services investigations • Provide direct care for residents • This includes pushing wheelchairs

6. Five Most Frequent Assisted Living Facility Complaints in 2013 Administration on Aging website: http://www.aoa.acl.gov/AoA_Programs/Elder_Rights/Ombudsman/index.aspx • Quality, quantity, variation and choice of food • Administration and organization of medications • Inadequate or no discharge/eviction notice or planning • Lack of respect for residents, poor staff attitudes • Building or equipment in disrepair or hazardous

7. Five Most Frequent Nursing Facility Complaints in 2013 • Improper eviction or inadequate discharge/planning • Unanswered requests for assistance • Lack of respect for residents, poor staff attitudes • Quality of life, specifically resident/roommate conflict • Administration and organization of medications

8. Residents have the right to:

9. Staff’s Role in Protecting Resident’s Rights • Know the rights of your patients • State regulations require facilities develop policies and procedures to ensure that resident rights are promoted and protected in a facility. • It’s the administrators responsibility to provide appropriate training. Allow residents to make choices about their care • As a caregiver, it is important that you know and enforce those rights.

10. Why are Resident Rights Sometimes Ignored or Violated? • Lack of awareness of resident rights by residents, caregivers, family and administrators • Loss of empathy or sensitivity to the plight of disabled, elderly or ill residents by caregivers or others • Facility staff shortages • Treating residents as children, not adults • Lack of adequate training

11. How can we protect resident rights? • Ensure residents, family, caregivers, and managers are aware of the rights • Ensure caregivers have received the proper training for tasks they are performing • If you see something, say something. Report anything that doesn’t feel right • Learn more about the resident's life history which helps to see the person as an adult with a lifetime’s worth of experience

13. Area 3 Senior Services Agency • Information and Assistance • Home delivered meals, home maker services, respite • Adult Protection • Investigates reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults 18+ • Ombudsman • Advocate for residents in long-term care facilities Area 3 Senior Services Agency 701 S. Allen St. Meridian, Idaho 83642 208-898-7060