Overview of Long-Term Care Ombudsman
The Indiana Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program advocates for residents of long-term care facilities, which includes nursing facilities and licensed assisted living facilities. Our primary purpose is to promote and protect the resident rights guaranteed to residents under federal and state law. We are resident-directed.
We achieve this mission with a network of local offices across the state, which recruit, train and manage a corps of certified ombudsmen. Staff and volunteer ombudsmen visit facilities throughout the state to ensure residents’ rights are being upheld.
We are here for you – residents, family members, friends and anyone interested in the welfare of long-term care residents. Our services are free and confidential.
What does a long-term care ombudsman do?
Certified long-term care ombudsmen are trained to receive complaints and assist residents to resolve problems in situations involving quality of care, use of chemical or physical restraints, transfer and discharge, abuse and other aspects of resident rights.
Your ombudsman will:
- Advocate for your rights as a resident living in a long-term care facility
- Work to resolve concerns about your quality of life and quality of care received
- Work with you, your family or friends, and facility staff to meet your needs
- Negotiate on your behalf
- Provide education on how to self-advocate
- Provide education about long-term care facilities as well as other service options in the community
- Help you establish a resident or family council
- Help you access information
- Attend involuntary discharge hearings with you
Who can contact the long-term care ombudsman?
- Residents of nursing homes and licensed assisted living facilities
- Relatives and friends of residents in long-term care facilities
- Administrators and employees of long-term care facilities
- Anyone concerned about the welfare of residents of long-term care facilities
- The community at large
Reasons why people call us
- Problems with care — call lights not being answered, problems with medication being administered, poor hygiene, etc.
- Violations of rights — privacy issues, loss of dignity issues, poor staff attitudes, emotional and verbal abuses, etc.
- Problems with transfers and discharges — improperly discharged, service fees not disclosed, refused readmission, Medicaid discrimination, etc.
Annual report
Access or print a brochure about our services
- Long-Term Care Ombudsman brochure
- Long-Term Care Ombudsman brochure - Spanish
- Long-Term Care Ombudsman brochure - Large print
Please visit The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care if you need a brochure in other languages besides English and Spanish.