What Is a Healthcare Ombudsman? Idaho Guide for Facilities

In 1972, Congress amended the Older Americans Act and established the national Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman Program to help address ongoing cases of abuse and neglect of residents in nursing homes. Under this program, each state is required to protect the rights of LTC residents using a health ombudsman. Idaho in particular offers comprehensive services aimed at improving conditions in LTC settings across the state.

If you’re an LTC facility leader, you can utilize the services of your ombudsman to improve the quality of your care. To guide you through this process, we’ll walk you through what an LTC ombudsman in Idaho does and how to prepare for potential interactions with one.

What Is the Idaho Ombudsman Program?

Administered by the Commission on Aging, the purpose of Idaho’s ombudsman program is to support the health, welfare, and safety of residents living in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. The ombudsman office helps residents with a variety of issues related to violation of rights, discharges, dignity and respect, and inadequate care. These services are free of charge and kept confidential to protect the privacy of residents who seek help from the office.

What Does an LTC Ombudsman Do?

In more general terms, an ombudsman is defined as an impartial party that investigates and resolves complaints made by individuals against organizations. In long-term care settings, this involves any complaints that residents, their friends or families, or other concerned parties make about a facility.

In Idaho, complaints can be submitted directly to the state ombudsman or to a local ombudsman assigned to a specified county. Once an ombudsman receives a complaint, they’ll conduct an investigation and work objectively to help both the resident and the facility find a fair resolution to the issue at hand.

Beyond investigating and addressing filed complaints, there are many other duties carried out by an ombudsman. Idaho’s ombudsmen are also trained to:

• Advocate for the improvement of laws and regulations impacting LTC quality.
• Offer resources and educational materials about LTC services in the state.
• Teach residents about their rights and how to self-advocate for their needs.
• Provide consultations to help residents/families with service-related questions.
• Conduct facility visits to monitor care quality and identify areas for improvement.

Who Can Seek Help From an Idaho Ombudsman?

While the primary duty of an ombudsman is to advocate for the rights of residents, they’ll also help anyone in the community who has LTC-related questions or concerns — including LTC staff and administrators. Examples of those who may want to contact their ombudsman include:

• Families of residents who need help finding local LTC services.
• Residents who are experiencing inadequate care at their facility.
• LTC staff who are concerned about the way their LTC facility is managed.
• Facility leaders who need help learning about local or federal regulations.

Who Is Your Ombudsman? Idaho Phone Number and Contact Information

While there are ombudsmen dispersed throughout the state, you can reach out to the state ombudsman for general guidance or to get connected to your county’s designated ombudsman. The contact information for the state ombudsman is provided below.

Tips for Facilities Undergoing Investigations

If an ombudsman has received a complaint about your facility, you may be preparing to undergo an investigation. This can feel like a stressful situation, but keep in mind that your ombudsman is trained to find a fair resolution for both you and your residents. They would rather work with you than against you, so it’s important to help the investigation go as smoothly as possible. You can do this by taking the following steps:

• Communicate: Your ombudsman will likely be asking you questions to get clarity on the situation at hand. Be as transparent and communicative as possible to ensure that they have all the information they need to resolve the issue.

• Collaborate: If your ombudsman invites you to discuss ways to improve your care, engage with them respectfully and appropriately. Collaboration will help both of you find a practical and feasible solution to the problem.

• Comply: If the ombudsman gives you advice about a confirmed issue, see this as an opportunity to improve your operations. Act on their advice in a timely manner to ensure that the issue is addressed and doesn’t recur in the future.

Take Additional Steps to Maintain Compliance

Seeking feasible ways to keep up with care standards and prevent the need for investigations from an ombudsman? Idaho facility leaders can stay informed through IntelyCare’s newsletter. We offer dozens of expert-written tips on delivering safe and quality care — all at no cost to you.