What Is a Healthcare Ombudsman? Missouri Guide for Facilities

A healthcare ombudsman is a trained advocate who can help patients and their families navigate the healthcare system. As a particularly vulnerable population, long-term care (LTC) residents can benefit from the supportive attention of an ombudsman. Missouri’s LTC Ombudsman Program is a significant resource for the state’s elderly population, their family members, and the facility leaders overseeing their care.

According to estimates, more than 800,000 older Americans reside in assisted living facilities. In Missouri, the number of senior citizens is expected to increase over the next five years, in keeping with national trends. With such a high volume of elders requiring care — and an even greater demand on the horizon, it’s important to know how to engage with this resource.

The following will help you better understand the role of the ombudsman in a long-term care facility, and how they can positively impact the resident experience. Also provided are program contacts and practical tips for engaging with representatives when they visit.

What Is the Missouri Ombudsman Program?

In the 1970s, the federal government created the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) as part of the Older Americans Act (OAA). The program gives states resources to investigate complaints made in nursing homes through the support of an ombudsman. Missouri’s program was formed in 1975 and continues to serve residents in nursing homes, residential care facilities, and veteran’s homes today.

The Missouri Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program aims to improve residents’ quality of life through advocacy and education. Through frequent visits to residential facilities, ombudsmen help individuals express their resident rights and serve as a listening ear to those who could use support.

What Does a Missouri State Ombudsman Do?

A healthcare ombudsman helps residents and families navigate issues related to care, quality of life, financial management, and more. An ombudsman doesn’t provide legal advice, but they can direct residents to resources about legal matters if necessary. No matter what problem they’re solving, ombudsmen maintain confidentiality to create trusting relationships with residents. Here are some examples of what their duties include.

Conflict Resolution

An ombudsman can mediate issues between residents and staff, such as a disagreement about their care plan or daily activities. Having disputes settled early and effectively helps maintain resident satisfaction at your facility.

Improve Quality of Life

Resident complaints can range from serious issues like abuse or neglect to minor concerns like dissatisfaction with food options. By spending quality time with residents, an ombudsman can identify issues and create resolutions. This often prevents smaller issues from turning into major complaints.

Advocacy and Empowerment

Many residents in long-term care feel disempowered or unable to speak out against issues with their care. An ombudsman encourages residents to speak up for themselves to improve their quality of life. In other cases, an ombudsman advocates for residents to improve situations, both in the care setting and in public forums.

Education

An ombudsman is responsible for educating residents and the public about topics like resident rights. They sometimes also educate LTC facility staff on federal and state regulations.

Who Does a Healthcare Ombudsman Work With?

In Missouri, ombudspeople work for regional ombudsman contractors, who report to the Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). An ombudsman may interact with various stakeholders in a number of settings. For example, an ombudsman may spend one day advocating for veterans at a Veterans Affairs (VA) home, and the next day providing community education about residents’ rights.

In the care setting, the ombudsman works closely with residents and families to resolve issues. They may also collaborate with staff to gather information during investigations. If they visit your facility, you should encourage staff to collaborate professionally with an ombudsman. Missouri representatives go through comprehensive ombudsman training to deliver meaningful results to long-term care residents while keeping the facility’s needs in consideration.

Who Is the Missouri Ombudsman?

If you have questions or concerns about LTC services, you can contact your local ombudsman for more guidance. There are regional ombudsman coordinators who are assigned to counties throughout the state. But for general inquiries, or if you need assistance connecting with your regional coordinator, you can use the contact information below.

Top Complaints at Assisted Living Facilities

According to the Administration for Community Living, the top complaints at assisted living facilities are:

• Inadequate discharge planning or improper eviction of residents.
• Issues with medication administration.
• Dissatisfaction with food.
• A lack of respect toward residents.
• Environmental concerns, such as hazardous building conditions.

Anyone can report a complaint to a long-term care ombudsman, including residents, families, staff, administrators, and citizens’ groups. Complaints of nursing home abuse or neglect may be reported to an ombudsman or a state agency. Because ombudspeople are trained to identify signs of abuse, they may identify concerns and report incidents to the appropriate authorities.

Tips for Facilities Working With a State Ombudsman

When an ombudsman visits a facility, their primary goal is to ensure that residents’ rights are being respected and that the facility is providing adequate care. Here are three practical tips for developing a productive and collaborative relationship.

1. Work to Resolve Complaints in a Timely Manner

Visiting ombudsman may observe environmental cleanliness, resident interactions, and other factors affecting living conditions. If they see or uncover issues that relate to your facility’s ability to meet state or federal standards, they could file a complaint with the appropriate oversight agency.

It’s in your best interest to communicate with the ombudsman and work toward resolution of any facility weaknesses they uncover to avoid fines, penalties, or lawsuits. Most importantly, working toward swift resolution of complaints (particularly those related to compliance issues) will help you deliver better care to residents.

2. Prepare Staff to Treat the Ombudsman as a Collaborator

Visits may also include discussions with staff, residents, or families to investigate concerns and work toward solutions. Facility leaders should inform staff that a visit from an ombudsman isn’t the same as a state survey. Though the ombudsman does have the capacity to report certain issues to regulatory agencies, their primary focus isn’t issuing citations or scrutinizing staff. They’ll primarily listen to residents, provide advocacy, mediate, and seek to improve residents’ quality of life. Because of these shared goals, staff and ombudsman can act as a team.

3. Be Communicative and Transparent

Developing good rapport with your regional ombudsman will help to maximize the support they can offer to your residents. Ombudsmen are an important resource for residents and staff alike. Communicate on a regular basis and be open to reaching out about challenges you’re having or residents who may need extra attention.

Find More Ways to Support Long-Term Care Residents

Looking for more ways to support your residents, in addition to working with your local ombudsman? Missouri’s elderly population is growing, and as a leader you can help your LTC facility rise to the challenge. We’re here to support you, with streamlined healthcare facility guides on topics like compliance, management, staffing, and more.