WHAT IS AN OMBUDSMAN? We get that question a lot. Many people wonder where that word came from or what in the world Ombudsmen do on a daily basis. The term “Ombudsman” was borrowed from the Swedish and means “representative.” Sweden became the first country to appoint an independent official known as an Ombudsman to investigate complaints against government officials and agencies. You can sometimes hear of Ombudsmen operating in business, healthcare, prison systems, or boards of developmental disabilities, or as safeguards in other organizations where individuals might need advocacy and investigation.
Those of us who serve as Long-Term-Care Ombudsmen do not investigate government officials, but we represent and advocate for longterm-care consumers.
The Federal government designated services for the elderly in 1965 through the Older Americans Act. In the time since, states have fulfilled the implementation of these services. In the state of Ohio, the Long-Term-Care-Ombudsman Program is housed under the Ohio Department of Aging and is one of many services for the elderly. This program serves the needs of long-term-care consumers in nursing homes, assisted livings, group homes, and private homes.
How do we do this? The counties in Ohio are divided into regions, and each region administers a Long-Term-Care-Ombudsman Program. Our local program consists of both certified volunteers and paid staff. Together we work to provide information to consumers about their rights and advocate for consumers to help in resolving any complaints they may have with care.
Two important tools we use to empower consumers to have a voice are resident and family councils. As Ombudsmen, we provide councils support and assistance to optimize their functioning. The goal of resident councils is to serve as a forum for residents’ voices to be heard. During council, residents have an opportunity to discuss concerns and ideas for resolution to these concerns. The concerns are presented to the management of the facility and the facility must acknowledge the concerns and take steps to remedy them. Resident councils are resident-driven.
Neither resident councils nor family councils are led by facility staff. Effective councils require leadership and organization. Our role as Ombudsmen is to ensure the right to participate in either type of council is supported by the facility and that consumers and families know how to utilize the councils to improve care at long-term-care facilities.
If you are interested in being more involved in resident or family councils, or want to learn more about how you can start a family council at your loved one’s nursing facility, please reach out to our program. Additionally, for more information about receiving advocacy services or volunteering with our program, please call 419-259-2891.
Lori Davis is Region 4 Volunteer Coordinator for the Ombudsman office, and Megan Benner Senecal is a member of the Ombudsman Office. ✲
