March 1, 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. If you missed a previous email and would like to read it, click here. Below is a brief summary of responses about the NORC website. 

Note: We appreciate your feedback on the evaluation and encourage you to send any questions or suggestions to us as we frequently make updates to the website to improve the user experience. For tips on using the NORC website, please review and share the infographic below.

Improve the search function. In response to feedback from this evaluation we revamped the search function in June 2016 to improve search results. Please let us know if you are still experiencing issues finding what you need.

The font color of resource headings is hard to see. NORC recently changed the colors of links from a light green to a dark blue to make them easier to see. If you are still having trouble, try enlarging the font size on your screen.

Simplify by topic. If you are looking for a specific topic, the issue pages are organized alphabetically and have several different types of resources related to the given topic. View the issue pages here.

List items by topic in the Library. You can find the items in the library organized by several topics such as Government Reports, Federal Laws and Regulations, State Laws and Regulations, LTCOP Research, Resources and Reference Documents, Ombudsman Outlook, and Additional Resources. View the Library here.

A very obvious link to “find ombudsmen.” This link is on the homepage of our website and says, “Locate an Ombudsman, Citizen Advocacy Group and other resources near you” Visit our map.

Some information is outdated.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.

Policy examples from other states. State Laws & Regulations are posted here.

Information specific to volunteers. Materials developed by NORC, and many of the resources created by Ombudsman programs available on the NORC website, can be used for training all Ombudsman program representatives (staff and volunteers). Information related to volunteer management is available here.

Add a "Current issues" page. A few respondents suggested that we should add a "Current issues" page similar to the voting resources added last fall, or the infection prevention issue page we updated recently. We feature a Technical Assistance (TA) Hot Topic in each issue of the Ombudsman Outlook and highlight resources related to current issues and hot topics on Facebook and Twitter, and on the NORC homepage. Keep checking our social media platforms, the NORC homepage, and Ombudsman Outlook for current issues.

LTCOP Rule. To find the LTCOP Rule page, click on Library, then Federal Laws & Regulations, then click inside the grey box that says, “Click here for information on the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Final Rule.”

Home and Community Based Services Final Regulations. Resources on the HCBS Final Rule are on the HCBS issue page here, under the Federal Laws & Regulations page of the Library, and by clicking on the Home and Community Based Services button on the NORC homepage.

Download and share this infographic as a PDF here.