Do you have questions or concerns about the care a resident is receiving in a nursing home, assisted living, or adult family home? Looking for guidance on how to navigate the long-term care system?

The overall purpose of the Ombuds Program is to ensure the dignity, rights and well-being of individuals living in long-term care.

A Long-Term Care Ombuds, staff or volunteer, is a person trained, certified, and authorized by the Washington State Ombuds Program to advocate for residents in long-term care facilities.

Ombuds are needed to assist residents and their families in achieving the highest level of quality of life and quality of care, which is a right guaranteed to residents by law.

A LTC Ombuds provides residents with easy access to a personal, on-site advocate who is mandated to work only on behalf of residents. In Washington state, a LTC Ombuds:

• Visits their assigned facilities on a weekly basis, spending about 4 hours/week working on behalf of residents;
• Works to resolve issues of resident care, resident rights, family matters, and finances;
• Makes it his/her business to get to know the residents, their families and staff;
• Consults with residents and helps residents get answers to their questions or concerns;
• Refers potential cases of abuse, neglect, retaliation or coercion to authorities.

For more information see WAC 365-18-080                           

The Washington State Ombuds Program has been organized to utilize highly trained community volunteers to supplement the work of a small staff. The State of Washington authorizes the State Long-Term Care Ombuds to delegate authority (to advocate on behalf of LTC residents) to visiting ombuds who are willing to undergo certification training, and work under the principles and guidelines set by the LTC Ombuds Program.

Currently, there are over 500 Certified LTC Ombuds in Washington State. More Ombuds are needed to advocate for residents and their families, as the number of people residing in long-term care increases.

The Long-Term Care Ombuds Program is an organized nationwide effort with programs in every state, federally mandated to provide effective advocacy and support to residents in a variety of long-term care settings.