What Is a Healthcare Ombudsman? Louisiana Guide for Facilities

Living in a long-term care facility can be difficult for elderly residents. These individuals are often at risk for abuse, neglect, and poor care quality. Sometimes, the only thing they want is to feel more at home.

Healthcare staff can learn how to address care quality concerns by partnering with a health ombudsman. Louisiana employees and volunteers supporting the ombudsman program ally with key stakeholders to optimize welfare and care quality in facilities across the state.

In this guide, we outline the services provided by the Louisiana Ombudsman Office and show how working with a local healthcare ombudsman can boost care quality and patient satisfaction scores at your facility.

What Is the Louisiana Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program?

The federal Older Americans Act (OAA) was created to support the health and happiness of elderly citizens. Patients receiving care in nursing homes are particularly vulnerable to mistreatment, and they often lack the support systems and resources necessary to protect themselves.

Under state law, Louisiana long-term care facility residents are granted the following rights:

• Right to dignity, freedom, and respect
• Right to visitation and access
• Right to be fully informed
• Right to make independent choices
• Rights during transfer or discharge
• Right to privacy and confidentiality

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) was created as part of the OAA to protect older Americans living in healthcare facilities. As part of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, each state is required to build an advocacy and oversight program to serve patients living in assisted living facilities, specialty care centers, nursing homes, and hospice centers.

Ombudsman representatives help ensure standards of care are met for all healthcare facility residents and that complaints are addressed in a fair and timely manner. Through partnerships with political representatives, healthcare facility leaders, and patients, these state ombudsmen lobby for healthcare reform and improve the welfare of individuals receiving care.

What Is the Role of a State Health Ombudsman?

Louisiana healthcare ombudsmen focus on improving access to high-quality care and enhancing quality of life for healthcare facility residents. They don’t provide direct clinical care, but focus on addressing patient needs by:

• Educating healthcare residents, their families, and care teams on the services and resources available to them.
• Assisting with complaints like abuse, neglect, improper discharge planning, quality and choice of food, and poor medication distribution.
• Providing information on legal rights and policy changes to patients and facilities, and suggesting changes to governmental agencies when appropriate.
• 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.

By partnering with a medical ombudsman, Louisiana long-term care facilities can ensure that patient needs are met. These advocates also ensure that clinical staff have the information and support they need to provide safe and compassionate care.

3 Tips for Facilities Partnering With a Louisiana Ombudsman

It’s important for long-term care facility administrators to understand that ombudsman representatives are not focused on punishing facilities or firing employees. They exist to serve the needs of residents and optimize care outcomes in a way that benefits everyone.

Instead of fearing involvement with oversight representatives, healthcare facilities can partner with health ombudsmen to ensure that small problems don’t become more significant in the future. We provide the following three tips to empower facility staff members and ensure that healthcare teams get the most out of partnering with an ombudsman.

1. Provide Staff Training on the Louisiana Ombudsman Program

Present educational materials like pamphlets and brochures to familiarize staff with the offerings of the Louisiana state health ombudsman program. Displaying program infographics and FAQ sheets in your facility’s common areas can help staff, residents, and family members understand how an ombudsman can serve patient needs.

Encourage staff members to reach out directly to your state ombudsman with any questions or concerns via the program’s ombudsman (Louisiana) phone number: (866) 632-0922.

2. Solicit Feedback From Resident and Family Care Councils

Host council meetings to share opinions and brainstorm ideas between residents, families, and facility staff. This can help create a sense of unity among stakeholders and build a stronger and more satisfied healthcare team.

Allowing key players to share feedback and ideas for improvement helps highlight opportunities for change. Work with ombudsmen to ensure all patients have their preferences and needs met.

When updating dining menus, wall colors, and daily care schedules, allow all parties to share input on what they think is best. Helping your patients and their families express their wishes at all stages in the service-planning process can help make ombudsman visits positive and productive.

3. Prepare for Annual Ombudsman Site Visits

To ensure appropriate care is being provided, Louisiana state ombudsmen complete annual assessments of every long-term care facility. Additionally, they make visits to check on residents after reported concerns and complaints.

These patient representatives may arrive unannounced, and often discuss questions and concerns with staff members. Therefore, it’s important that your team is prepared for ombudsman visits to avoid legal scrutiny and hefty fines. Ensure that safety standards and regulations are up to date and confirm that care is provided according to the prescribed criteria.

After an ombudsman site visit, be sure to discuss the advocate’s findings. They may mention specific deficiencies in care quality, or may outline issues surrounding facility cleanliness or staff professionalism. Collaborate with the ombudsman and listen to their suggestions to keep complaints from escalating into formal investigations.

Find More Ways to Support Your Long-Term Care Residents

By partnering with a state health ombudsman, Louisiana long-term healthcare facilities can ensure that patients receive the best care possible. Discover more ways to improve patient satisfaction scores and optimize federal reimbursement with IntelyCare’s free newsletter.