Louisiana Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

What is an Ombudsman? 
Ombudsmen are men and women trained to respond to the problems and needs of residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Each facility is assigned a local ombudsman who is supervised by the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman in the Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs in Baton Rouge. All ombudsman services are provided free of charge. 

What Do Ombudsmen Do? 
Ombudsmen serve as advocates for residents of nursing homes and board and care facilities. They receive and investigate complaints made by or on behalf of residents and try to solve their problems. Ombudsmen also monitor the state's activities in regulating facilities and advocate for better enforcement of existing laws and regulations. They share information with state surveyors to assist with their inspections of nursing homes and attend the final conference between surveyors and the facility staff when survey results are discussed. Ombudsmen often provide educational information to the public and may assist residents and families when they have been unsuccessful in their attempts at changing conditions in a facility. 

How Are Ombudsmen Trained? 
Certification training for ombudsmen was initiated in Louisiana in 1982. Everyone involved in the Ombudsman Program has received some degree of training, depending on the level of the program for which they volunteer. Long-Term Care Visitors undergo six hours of training by the local parish coordinator. Certified Ombudsmen receive state-sponsored training twice a year, which includes thirty hours of classroom training, testing, and an internship. Observations/Evaluations are made by the State Ombudsman, the local ombudsman coordinator, and the nursing home administration in which the internship is completed. 

To What Kinds of Problems Do Ombudsmen Respond? 
Ombudsmen are interested in any problem, complaint, or concern a resident may have. Common problems experienced by nursing home residents regard quality of care, food, activities, visitation, and the ability to exercise their rights as a resident or citizen. For example, an ombudsman should be able to help if residents encounter problems such as the following: 

(1) Residents are restrained inappropriately 
(2) Residents are neglected or abused by facility staff 
(3) Residents are told to move out of the nursing home against their will 
(4) Residents' requests for food substitutions or preferences are not honored
(5) Bed-bound residents are not included in activities 
(6) Family members are not allowed to visit after normal visiting hours 
(7) Staff members do not respect residents' privacy, such as by knocking before entering residents' rooms, closing doors when residents are treated, or ensuring residents are properly covered or dressed while waiting to enter the whirlpool 
(8) Residents are not furnished the opportunity to vote 

Do Ombudsmen Have Any Legal Authority? 
Ombudsmen are given legal authority under both state and federal laws. These laws provide, for example, that ombudsmen shall have immediate access to any resident, may communicate privately and confidentially with residents, and may review and obtain any relevant records (including medical, social, or financial records) with the written consent of the resident or his legal representative. 

Who Should Contact an Ombudsman? 
Anyone who has questions or concerns about specific or general issues of quality of care and/or rights violations in a specific nursing home should contact an ombudsman. For example, ombudsmen are often contacted by concerned family members and friends, as well as by residents themselves. 

How Do You Contact an Ombudsman? 
Ombudsmen visit facilities regularly. Posters are placed in all facilities with the name and telephone number of the local ombudsman. If you cannot locate or reach the local ombudsman, you may contact the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman at (504) 925-3990 (Baton Rouge) or leave a message at 1-800-259- 4990 (toll-free statewide). 

Will the Ombudsman Keep My Inquiry Confidential? 
The ombudsman must keep all matters relating to any inquiry or referral confidential, unless the resident or his legal representative consents in writing to the disclosure or unless ordered otherwise by a court. 

May the Nursing Home Retaliate Against Me For Contacting the Ombudsman? 
State law prohibits retaliation against any resident or employee of a long-term care facility for having filed a complaint with or provided information to the ombudsman. 

How Can You Become an Ombudsman? 
Concerned citizens are needed to visit and work with residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. The Ombudsman Program relies heavily on volunteers who serve as either Long-Term Care Visitors or Certified Ombudsmen. If you are interested in volunteering with the Ombudsman Program, please contact your local ombudsman.