Ombudsman
Who are Ombudsman?
Ombudsman (Ombuds) are men and women trained to respond to the problems and needs of residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
What do Ombuds do?
- Work with residents, their families, facilities, community organizations, and other interested parties to address concerns affecting residents.
- Ensure that residents receive the best possible care and are treated with respect and dignity.
- Listen, provide information, and assist residents in solving problems.
- Ensure that residents of long-term care facilities receive the best possible care and that their rights are protected and promoted.
- Advocate for improvements in care and quality of life.
- Educate the public, caregivers, and residents about their rights and efforts to improve care.
- Investigate, mediate, and resolve concerns & complaints from residents and their families.
What kind of problems do the Ombuds respond to?
- Ombuds are interested in any problem, complaint, or concern a resident may have.
- Common problems are with the quality of care, food, finances, activities, visitation, and the ability to exercise their rights as a resident or citizen.
Who should contact an Ombuds?
- Anyone with questions or concerns about the care or treatment a resident receives should contact an Ombuds.
Resident’s Rights: A Guide
What rights do you have as a nursing home resident?
ALL of the rights every other citizen enjoys, plus additional rights that have to do with life in a long-term care facility.
Here is a partial listing of these additional rights:
Health Care
- To receive adequate and appropriate health care and protective and support services
- To be free of physical restraints not documented as medically necessary
- To have your choice of pharmacy and physician
- To withhold payment for physician visitation if the physician did not examine you
- To be transferred or discharged only after reasonable notice is given and only for medical reasons, the welfare of other residents, or for non-payment
- To be protected from transfer or discharge from a Title XIX certified facility solely because the source of payment changes
Information
- To be informed of your rights, the rules and regulations of the nursing home
- To receive prompt response to all reasonable requests and inquiries
- To have any significant change in your health status reported to you
- To be informed of your condition and planned medical treatment, and to participate in or refuse that treatment
- To examine the results of the most recent survey conducted by state or federal surveyors of the facility
- To be informed of the bed reservation policy for hospitalization
- To be told of all services available and all costs, including charges covered or not covered by Medicare, Medicaid or the basic per diem rate
Individual Liberties
- To exercise your civil and religious liberties
- To exercise your rights as a resident and a citizen
- To complain and make suggestions without fear of coercion or retaliation
- To be treated courteously, fairly and with the fullest measure of dignity
- To be free of mental and physical abuse
- To take part in various activities of the long-term care facility
- To be free not to perform work
- To choose a roommate, when possible
- To have your clothing and possessions
- To manage your personal affairs,
- if this is delegated to the facility, to receive an accounting report every three months upon request
- To retire and rise in accord with reasonable requests
- To consume a reasonable amount of alcoholic beverages, with some restrictions
- To use tobacco in accordance with applicable policies, rules, and law
- To have ample opportunity to visit with family and friends
- To share a room with your spouse, if he/she is a resident of the same nursing home and both consent
Privacy
- To be treated with consideration and respect for your privacy
- To send and receive unopened mail
- To receive visitors in privacy
- To have your personal and medical records treated confidentially
- To have regular access to private use of a telephone
- To refuse to serve as a medical research subject
Caddo Council on Aging
Shreveport Ombudsman Regional Service Provider
1700 Buckner St, Suite 151
Shreveport, Louisiana 71109
Contact: Casandra Cesare, Ombudsman Manager
Telephone: 318-676-7900 or 800- 256-3003
Fax: 318-676-7911
Parishes Served:
Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, DeSoto, Red River, Webster