Why do we have Ombudsman? Congress amended the Older Americans Act in 1978 to establish the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program to serve residents in long-term care facilities. Ombudsman services are available in every state and territory of the United States. In Texas, the Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman operates in the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services.
Who is an Ombudsman? Volunteers who go through a state certified training program. They must submit a resume and references are checked. The Ombudsman office is has paid staff to train and manage the program.
What does an ombudsman do? Information from the Publication from DADS “Texas Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program”
A long-term care ombudsman…..Listens, visits residents, offers ideas and options, helps resolve concerns that affect residents, supports resident and family councils, respects resident choices and independence, promotes resident-directed care, protects resident rights, informs government agencies and the public about the interests and needs of residents, advocates for resident-focused laws and regulations, and helps residents when a facility plans to discharge them.
Each facility has an ombudsman representative and the facility can share that information with you. You can also locate their office contact information through the DADS website at http://www.dads.state.tx.us/contact/aaa.cfm . So you are not alone and have a advocate who’s only purpose is to ensure that all residents can receive competent and respectful care.
One other note I would like to make…..
I have worked in a long term care facility and have seen amazing acts of kindness and compassion. The work is hard, long and stressful and yet the staff can still be so amazing. However, when you experience something that is not working for your loved one I recommend talking with the staff (remember names) and state what happened and what your concern is. Staying calm, reporting just facts , asking for some corrective action and follow up is appropriate. Keep a note so that you know what day, time and staff are involved so when you are discussing it the facts are clear and concise. The most difficult problem to deal with is when a family reports that someone (not sure who or what shift) didn’t get their mom’s call light for hours and their mom called several nights complaining. They wait several days to call and report it and can’t remember the day, staff person involved or really even the time of day. It is better in that scenario, to call the nursing desk immediately after their mom calls and ask to talk with the person caring for their mom, explain the phone call that you just received and ask them to go check on your mom and to have their mom call with the caregiver in the room and after they had checked on her. Call your mom after talking with the nurse’s desk and assure your mom that a caregiver should be coming and let her know you want to talk with her after the caregiver has come and checked on her. Check your watch so you know how much time has passed before your mom calls. If you do not hear from your mom, call back in 30 minutes to see if everything is okay. Make sure that if the problem is corrected, that you let staff know you truly appreciate their efforts. I know it doesn’t work perfectly all the time but this can keep your relationship with staff on a positive note.
If you can not come to a resolution after working with staff and supervisors or get to the person you need to resolve the issue, the Ombudsman can be a great resource.
Other Resources:www.facebook.com/LTCOmbudsmen and www.twitter.com/TheLTCOmbudsman
