What Is a Healthcare Ombudsman? Mississippi Guide for Facilities

Long-term care facilities exist to help elderly residents live healthy and happy lives. Sometimes, these centers fall short of providing the respect and dignity patients deserve, leaving individuals feeling isolated and alone. With over 2.1 million elderly Americans living in residential facilities, oversight is needed to ensure they receive high-quality, compassionate care. In Mississippi, this duty is performed by a representative called an ombudsman.

Mississippi health ombudsmen work to improve the quality of life for care home residents across the state. By forming partnerships with healthcare facility staff, patients, and their family members, they protect the rights of these individuals and ensure they have access to the resources and support services they need.

In this article, we’ll give an overview of the state’s long-term care ombudsman program, review key duties of these patient advocates, and provide tips for facilities looking to collaborate with state ombudsmen to improve patient satisfaction and health outcomes.

What Is the Mississippi Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program?

The Older Americans Act (OAA) was established in 1965 to help elderly Americans gain access to public services like food supplies, transportation assistance, and healthcare coverage. The federal Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP), created as part of the OAA, specifically protects senior citizens living in:

• Nursing homes
• Assisted living facilities
• Long-term rehabilitation centers
• Adult day care facilities
• Hospice centers

Before the LTCOP was established, care complaints were often left unaddressed, leaving residents feeling hopeless and isolated. This program mandates that each state develop its own health ombudsman program to ensure the condition and treatment quality of each facility is up to regulatory standards.

What Is the Role of a Mississippi Ombudsman?

Mississippi ombudsmen aren’t licensed clinicians and don’t provide clinical care. Instead, they serve patients by:

• Assisting with complaints like abuse, neglect, improper discharge planning, quality and choice of food, and poor medication distribution.
• Conducting annual and periodic assessments of all long-term care facilities to ensure standards of care are met.
• Helping patients and their families choose a healthcare facility that meets their needs.
• Providing information about legal rights and policy changes to patients and facilities, suggesting changes to government agencies when appropriate.
• Educating healthcare residents, their families, and care teams about the services and resources available to them.
• Serving as a liaison for patients and their families to address grievances and identify possible solutions.
• Advocating for change at the government level to improve each individual’s care.

How Can Facilities Prepare for Visits From a Health Ombudsman?

Mississippi healthcare providers often fear regulatory agency visits and might be concerned that involvement with ombudsmen will lead to punitive action and legal problems for their facility. Instead, the opposite is true — by proactively partnering with these patient representatives, facilities can prevent small issues from becoming more significant in the future.

How can facility administrators optimize their time with state ombudsmen and make the experience more positive and meaningful? Here are three tips to get your team started.

1. Provide Staff Training on the Mississippi Health Ombudsman Program

Start off by orienting your employees to the services offered by the state ombudsman program. Hosting a paid ombudsman training seminar can optimize staff buy-in. Offering continuing education credits upon completion of the course can further incentivize attendance.

During the education session, be sure to review the role of these patient advocates and outline the steps involved in filing an ombudsman incident report. Remind staff that ombudsmen aren’t looking to punish them for providing poor care. Instead, their involvement can reduce moral distress and make the caregiving experience better for everyone.

2. Solicit Patient Experience Feedback to Optimize Care Quality

Patients and their family members appreciate feeling heard. Allowing them the opportunity to share feedback and suggestions for improvement can help you develop trust and loyalty. Consider their opinions when:

• Adjusting patient room design and layout.
• Altering care and activity schedules.
• Updating dining room food options.
• Making changes to visiting hours.
• Scheduling community outings and event plans.

Start by asking your patients how they prefer to provide feedback. Some may appreciate sharing their concerns in a patient or family council setting, while others may prefer offering suggestions anonymously. Providing a variety of feedback options can ensure you gather information from all parties.

3. Distribute Ombudsman Contact Information

When working with regulatory agencies, transparency is key. Facility administrators should post ombudsman resources in public places and distribute informational brochures upon admission and during family visits.

The following ombudsman (Mississippi) phone number, mailing address, and website details should be publicly posted for easy reference:

It’s important to remember that safe patient care should be everyone’s top priority. By empowering patients, family members, and healthcare staff to reach out directly to the state ombudsman office, you can create a sense of teamwork and unity as you work toward a common goal.

Find More Ways to Enhance the Patient Experience

Now that we’ve explained the role of a long-term care ombudsman, Mississippi facility leaders should be well on their way to optimizing treatment strategies and boosting patient satisfaction. Follow along in our free newsletter as we share additional tips for improving wellness and care quality — delivered straight to your inbox.