December 3, 2018

40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE LTCOP 

It has been 40 years since the 1978 Amendments to the Older Americans Act required every state to have an Ombudsman Program and specifically defined Ombudsman functions and responsibilities.

In 1972, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program started out as a public health service demonstration project to meet the needs of residents facing problems in nursing homes. Today, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program consists of 53 state programs and their statewide networks of over 500 local Ombudsman entities. Read the full list of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program’s milestones from 1972 to 2016 as a PDF here and on the NORC website here.

OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS

According to the 2016 National Ombudsman Reporting System (NORS) data, Ombudsman programs: 

• Investigated 199,493 complaints and resolved/partially resolved 73% of those complaints
• Visited 28,473 long-term care facilities at least quarterly
• Attended 22,205 Resident Council Meetings and 1,974 Family Council Meetings
• Provided 10,690 community education sessions
• Provided 4,702 trainings for LTC facility staff
• Provided 115,708 consultations to LTC facility staff
• Provided information and assistance to 378,526 individuals (residents, family members, others) 

Find additional NORS data on the NORS pages of the NORC website. Other Ombudsman program achievements from around the nation are featured in the News and Press section of the NORC website and on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to also read Ombudsman activities in the quarterly Ombudsman Outlook newsletter. The "News from the Network" article appears in every issue to highlight your work. We encourage you to send your advocacy successes, program management examples, and resources so we can learn from you. 

SHARE THE IMPORTANT WORK OF YOUR PROGRAM

Printable Infographic for Ombudsman Program Promotion (updated)

This infographic provides a brief overview of the work Ombudsman programs do and the impact they have around the nation. This infographic can be used for volunteer recruitment and program promotion on program websites, via email, and social media. View the infographic as a PDF here.

The Who, What, Where, Why, and How of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (updated)

This presentation provides a brief overview of the program responsibilities required by federal law, so the information is applicable in every state. Attendees will gain an understanding about what the LTCOP does, who the LTCOP serves, and how to contact the program.

LTCOPs can personalize these slides and use this presentation during:

• Orientation and/or initial training of new LTCOP representatives
• Resident Council or Family Council meetings
• Community education sessions
• In-services for facility staff

View the slides as a PDF or PowerPoint.

Thank you for your continued advocacy and dedication to achieving quality long-term care for the past 40 years. We welcome you to share pictures, brief comments, or quotes about your work in the long-term care ombudsman program by emailing ombudcenter@theconsumervoice.org.

For more information on program promotion visit the NORC website here and for more information on the Ombudsman program visit the NORC website here.

Read archived issues of NORC Notes here. If you have a question, are not able to find a resource, or want to share training materials or program practices, please email ombudcenter@theconsumervoice.org.