The Washington State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) advocates for residents of nursing homes, adult family homes, assisted living facilities and enhanced services facilities. Our purpose is to protect and promote the Rights, health, safety and wellbeing of long-term care residents under federal and state law and regulations.

We are trained to receive complaints and resolve problems in situations involving quality of care, use of restraints, transfer and discharge, abuse and other aspects of resident dignity and rights. LTCOP serves to promote the wishes of the vulnerable adult, not the facility or healthcare system.

The program depends on a statewide group of paid and volunteer certified long-term care ombuds to visit residents in their care homes, receive their complaints and work to resolve them. We have partnerships with nonprofits and Area Agencies on Aging to deliver ombudsman services in local communities.

The State Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombuds works closely with residents, advocates, policy makers, legislators, and the Governor’s office on laws and policies that will improve the lives of long-term care residents. The Office of the Washington State LTC Ombudsman Program is operated by the Multi-Service Center under contract with the Department of Commerce. The Office is independent, and authorized to act under federal and state laws, but it is not a part of state government.

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Eligibility

Who can use the Ombudsman Program?

• Residents of licensed nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult family homes, enhanced services facilities and Veteran’s Homes.
• Relatives, visitors, and the friends of residents in long-term care facilities.
• Employees of long-term care facilities, state workers, and health care professionals. Any group or individual concerned about the welfare of residents of long-term care facilities.
• The community-at-large.

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How to get help

To file a complaint, call the Complaint and Information line above or find the contact information for the Ombuds serving the County where the long-term care facility is located. You can also file a complaint online by following the web address above.

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What to expect

• A long-term care ombuds volunteer or paid staff will respond to your call or complaint to obtain the facts of the case.
• All correspondence is confidential.
• The ombuds is required by federal law to obtain the perspective of the resident for their input and views about the complaint.
• If the resident wants the help of the ombuds to resolve a complaint, we will need to obtain their permission before proceeding with the investigation.
• We work to the best of our ability to resolve the complaint to the residents’ satisfaction.

Sometimes callers want information only about what they can do to self-advocate or understand their options. That’s great! We provide helpful information, explain complex processes and policies in layman’s terms. We can do this by phone, email, or in person. We provide information and referrals to residents, their representatives, providers, and policy makers frequently. Privacy is upheld.

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is not an emergency response program. Callers should not expect a call back immediately. We work to return all calls and inquiries within three working days, and we prioritize our complaints as required by federal regulations by allegation type and alleged risk. We are not a part of the State licensing system, and we are not, by law, mandated reporters.

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Volunteer with LTCOP

Volunteer ombuds are the backbone of the Washington State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. They are the first line of protection against elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation in long-term care facilities. Ombuds provide information about residents’ rights and available resources. Ombuds also obtain information about residents’ complaints and help the resident by resolving the complaints.

Volunteers assist with protecting their residents’ rights and ensure that residents receive fair treatment from service providers. All interactions are confidential, and we work on behalf of the resident only.

If you are interested in joining this extraordinary group of individuals who are working to protect resident rights in Washington State, please consider volunteering. Fill out the interest form and a regional program person will contact you with further information. Or call us at 1.800.562.6028.

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FAQ

What does Ombudsman mean?

The word Ombudsman (om-budz-man) is Swedish and refers to a person who acts on another’s behalf.