Menu Content/Inhalt
Home arrow Services arrow Long Term Care Ombudsman arrow What is Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program?
What is Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program? Print E-mail
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program advocates for residents of long-term care facilities throughout Humboldt and Del Norte counties in Northern California. We receive, investigate and help resolve a wide variety of complaints including issues concerning resident rights, quality of care, and quality of life and dignity. Ombudsman services may be kept confidential. An Ombudsman also provides information and training for residents, their families and long-term care facility staff on topics such as patient abuse, resident rights, conflict resolution and quality of care.  Under the federal Older Americans Act, every state is required to have an Ombudsman Program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long term care system.

Some of the issues that an Ombudsman addresses are:

  • Violation of residents' rights or dignity.
  • Physical, verbal or mental abuse, financial abuse, as well as deprivation of services necessary to maintain residents' physical and mental health.
  • Poor quality of care, including inadequate personal hygiene and slow response to requests for assistance and inappropriate use of physical or chemical restraints.
  • Improper admission, transfer or discharge of a patient from facility to home, hospital, or to another facility.

Everyone is eligible to use Ombudsman services; residents, family, friends and staff of any nursing home or residential or assisted care facility.

To get involved you can report concerns about poor care or other problems to the Ombudsman Program., or volunteer to be an Ombudsman in your community.

Call 707-443-9747 x220 or email . When our program can't be reached after hours and there is a problem that requires immediate attention, call the Ombudsman Crisis Line: 1-800-231-4024.  If it is an emergency, call 911.