February 22, 2017

In May 2016, NORC sent a planning and evaluation questionnaire to all State Ombudsmen and program representatives and we received over 100 responses. The responses help NORC evaluate the success of its activities and materials and provide NORC staff with key information in planning for future tasks. In the coming weeks, NORC will send out a series of emails based on the results of this questionnaire. Below is a brief summary of responses about NORC activities.

Below are some common responses and where to find what is already available.

• Focus more on the interpersonal skills necessary for advocacy, effective communication, and program management. Resources and tools to access and enhance program effectiveness, including interpersonal skills, are available here. 

• More examples of program practices from a variety of states would be helpful. NORC relies on submissions of best practices, examples of advocacy, and challenges from State Ombudsman programs and local Ombudsman entities and encourages programs to share information with us. To share examples of your program activities, email ombudcenter@theconsumervoice.org.

• Updates on regulations and new policy. All resources related to laws and regulations are posted in the NORC Library. There are dedicated pages for specific regulations such as the Ombudsman Program Final Rule and the newly revised nursing home regulations.

• NORS Consistency training materials. A four-part training module has been developed on the National Ombudsman Reporting System (NORS) to instruct ombudsmen on how to record the work they do on behalf of residents, including visits to facilities, complaints, consultations, and more. Each state reports their data to the Administration on Aging, to be summarized into NORS. View NORS training materials and data here.

• Webinars with expert speakers on different topics.  All webinars are archived here. You can also find topic-specific webinars on the related issue page.

• Technical Assistance for local Ombudsmen program representatives. If you have a specific question or need help finding resources, email ombudcenter@theconsumervoice.org.

• Updates to some of the materials already developed that are becoming a bit outdated. Materials on the NORC website that may look “dated” are still relevant and can be applied to ombudsman practices today. If you have questions or comments about a specific resource, please let us know by emailing ombudcenter@theconsumervoice.org.

• Information for residents and families. Information to share with residents and families can be found on each topic’s issue page. Each page has a section titled “Information to Share with Consumers.” See the issue pages here.