What Is a Healthcare Ombudsman? Arizona Guide for Facilities

Long-term care (LTC) facilities have the opportunity to improve care and resident satisfaction by partnering with their local healthcare ombudsman. Arizona, like other states, maintains an LTC Ombudsman Program staffed with representatives who work beside residents, their families, and staff to ensure access to advocacy and support when it’s needed.

This is an important resource, given the challenges of providing high-quality care to elderly residents. Administrators and providers alike often have their hands full as they juggle budgeting, paperwork, and policy updates. It can be difficult prioritizing each individual’s needs, which is why additional support can help to ensure that patients receive the respect and dignity they deserve.

If you’re a healthcare provider or facility leader, you may have questions about how Arizona’s ombudsman program operates, how to reach a representative, and how to best handle an investigation or visit. This guide will answer these questions and explore the benefits of partnering with a state ombudsman.

What Is the Arizona Ombudsman Program?

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) was created to help protect vulnerable elderly patients living in residential healthcare facilities. Under the federal Older Americans Act, the LTCOP requires each state to create its own ombudsman team to assist residents in getting access to quality care.

Arizona state employees and volunteers, called health ombudsmen, ensure safe conditions for each long-term care facility resident. They investigate care complaints made by or on behalf of patients and monitor facilities for instances of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

An Arizona ombudsman (citizens’ aide) helps to protect residents living in:

• Nursing homes
• Hospice centers
• Adult day care
• Assisted living facilities
• Adult foster care homes

These advocates serve as mediators between long-term care facility staff and patients to resolve problems and improve health outcomes. They collaborate with the Arizona Department of Health Services to ensure attentive medical treatment and healthcare justice for all patients.

What Is the Role of a Health Ombudsman?

Arizona healthcare residents deserve to feel at home in their facility and have the same rights and freedoms as individuals living independently. State ombudsmen work to protect these freedoms and investigate instances where patient liberties may have been violated. These health advocates work with patients, their family members, and facility staff to:

• Provide information about resident rights, provider options, available public resources and services, and current long-term care facility regulations.
• Assist with complaints like abuse, neglect, inappropriate eviction, quality and choice of food, and poor medication distribution.
• Serve as a liaison for patients and their families to investigate grievances and identify possible solutions.
• Build a culture of resident-centered living in long-term care facilities.
• Educate about legal rights and policy updates and suggest changes to regulatory agencies when appropriate.
• Advocate for change at the government level to improve each individual’s care.

Ombudsmen don’t provide direct patient care, but represent healthcare residents who may not feel seen or heard. Their efforts improve patient satisfaction scores and health outcomes in facilities across the state.

Who Is the Arizona Ombudsman?

Every region in Arizona has a specific point person/program providing ombudsman services to local residents. You can find your local ombudsman directly on the office’s website, or use the main office’s contact information (listed below) for more general guidance.

What Are Some Tips for Working With a Long-Term Care Ombudsman?

Arizona health ombudsmen serve patients above all else, and must have their consent before acting on any patient-specific concerns. However, the following staff members can also consult with ombudsmen to answer questions and address care deficiencies:

• Nursing staff
• Facility administrators and executives
• Dieticians
• Assistive personnel
• Clinical managers
• Activity directors
• Social workers

Keep in mind that the Arizona ombudsman program was created to help your facility, as well as the patients you serve. Incorporating the patient advocate into your facility’s multidisciplinary team can show your patients that you prioritize their wants and needs.

Partnering with your state ombudsman may help your facility prevent small problems from escalating into major issues. Here are a few ways to help you get started.

1. Provide State Ombudsman Information to Patients and Staff

Arizona long-term care facilities can provide resources to patients and staff to advise them on available ombudsman services. Orient new employees to the Arizona state ombudsman program, and re-familiarize staff with relevant content at yearly education sessions.

Display ombudsman infographics and FAQ sheets in your facility’s common areas and include pamphlets on the program in every resident’s room or on their online patient portal.

2. Prepare Your Facility for Periodic Ombudsman Visits

Health ombudsmen make periodic site visits after receiving patient or family complaints. They also complete annual assessments of every long-term care facility to ensure appropriate care is being given.

Confirm that safety standards and regulations are up to date and verify that care is provided according to these criteria. Allow staff to reference care protocols online and keep hard copies in administrative offices in the event of an ombudsman visit.

3. Be Open to Receiving Constructive Feedback on Care Quality

Being defensive or stubborn can limit opportunities for potentially helpful changes. After receiving feedback on the quality of care at your facility, meet with your team to discuss concerns and find ways to improve.

It’s in your facility’s best interest to listen to any advice an ombudsman may be able to provide and work promptly to fix any concerns before the initiation of a formal grievance. Doing so may help avoid the stress of a legal investigation, saving your facility time and money.

Find More Ways to Improve Care and Ensure Regulatory Compliance

By partnering with a state ombudsman, Arizona long-term care facilities can help residents live their lives to the fullest. Need help staying current in today’s rapidly changing healthcare industry? Our streamlined facility guides and resources deliver practical information about patient care, compliance issues, and more.