Nursing Home Knowledge: An Ombudsman View
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This article originally appeared in the Plattsburgh Press-Republican’s Senior Sentinel …
What is an Ombudsman? Under the Older Americans Act, every state is required to have a Long Term Care Ombudsman Program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long-term care system.
Ombudsmen are in long-term care facilities weekly, talking with residents and their families and here are some things we encourage you to keep in mind;
Room Changes: Each resident is admitted to a facility in a room that may or may not become their forever home. Upon admission, all residents are given an admission packet. We encourage all residents and their loved ones to review the packet in its entirety and to pay close attention to facility policies as each facility is different.
Sometimes, a resident’s room may need to change. Please know that these changes are not automatic and require written notice to the resident and/or the Family representative. These room changes can be refused if the resident does not want to move. Facilities are licensed to have a certain number of beds. These beds are not classified as “rehab” or “long-term” they are just nursing home beds. The facility may say they want a resident to move to the “long-term” side, but it is not required unless otherwise stated in the admission packet. Once a resident is admitted to a bed, it is the resident’s until they either agree to move or are discharged. When a room change notice is given and the resident does not want to leave their room, or has questions, please reach out to the Ombudsman Program to assist you with the process.
The Ombudsman program for Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties is located at the North Country Center for Independence. We can be reached at 518-562-1732 or if you prefer email send to Amy Gehrig: amy@ncci-online.com
Happy New Year from the Ombudsman Program.
