June 3, 2019

In August 2018, we sent a questionnaire to State Ombudsmen and representatives of the Office (i.e., local or regional ombudsmen) regarding their role and advocacy to prevent abuse and investigate allegations of abuse. 30 states were represented by responses from 67 State Ombudsmen and representatives of the Office. Below are highlights from the questionnaire responses, a reminder about World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and a registration invitation for an upcoming webinar on trauma-informed care. For more information and resources about abuse, visit this NORC issue page.

94.44% of respondents said they collaborate at the state and/or local level with the State Survey Agency/Licensing and Certification and 88.89% said they collaborate with Adult Protective Services to address abuse, neglect, and exploitation in long-term care facilities.

Common examples of collaboration include:

• Establishing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)/Memorandum of Agreement (MOA);
• Making and accepting referrals and/or complaints, as appropriate;
• Participation in workgroups/taskforces to address abuse; and
• Community education partnerships and cross training.

 For information about Ombudsman program collaboration, including developing MOUs/MOAs, visit this page.  

Examples of activities and successful practices include:

• Providing training for facility staff and residents regarding rights, facility responsibilities, and what to do when you suspect abuse;
• Community education regarding elder abuse and the Ombudsman program;
• Training for representatives of the Office regarding investigating allegations of abuse and the role of the program;
• Training for first responders, guardians, and elder law attorneys regarding elder abuse and the Ombudsman program; and
• Increasing public awareness of the Ombudsman program such as, adding a question on a state mandatory reporter form asking if the individual wants the Ombudsman program contacted.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is June 15th and is a call-to-action for individuals, organizations, and communities to raise awareness about abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elders. In 2018, 46.81% of respondents hosted or participated in activities for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

The 2019 WEAAD theme is Lifting Up Voices. The theme is centered on unifying the parallel fields of Elder Justice and Violence Against Women by bringing to the forefront the lived experiences of older people around the globe. The Lifting Up Voices tools will help with all your planning and promotions.

The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Tool Kit contains resources to help you engage your community, educate others, raise awareness about this serious problem, and empower people to take action to end elder abuse.

Register for the upcoming NORC webinar titled, Trauma-Informed Care: Nursing Home Responsibilities and Ombudsman Program Advocacy on Monday, June 10th at 3:00pm – 4:30pm ET.

Ensuring that residents who are trauma survivors receive culturally competent, trauma-informed care is one of several new federal requirements which will go into effect when Phase 3 of the revised federal nursing home regulations are implemented November 28, 2019. Attendees will learn about trauma-informed care, the new federal requirement, how trauma-informed care relates to resident-centered care, and what this means for Ombudsman program advocacy and communication.

Presenters include Nancy Kusmaul, Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and Patricia Hunter, Washington State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. This training is open to all Ombudsman programs.

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.