What Is a Healthcare Ombudsman? Maryland Guide for Facilities

In the late 1960s, the federal government began to make significant strides in addressing the lack of community services available for older adults. Under the Older Americans Act, Congress established a national Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman Program. This program required each state to implement a system addressing the rights of residents in long-term care settings through a health ombudsman. Maryland in particular has a wide network of ombudsmen who are trained to advocate for older adults on a number of fronts.

If you’re an LTC facility leader in Maryland, you may be looking for more information on what a long-term care ombudsman is. We’ll provide an overview of the services provided by your state’s ombudsman and what you can expect if you’re preparing to interact with one.

What Is the Maryland Ombudsman Program?

In Maryland, there are two separate ombudsman offices that provide different services — the long-term care ombudsman and the public access ombudsman. If you’re running an LTC facility, you’ll most likely be working with the long-term care ombudsman. Maryland’s LTC ombudsman office is overseen by the Department of Aging and is responsible for deploying staff and volunteers across designated regions. These ombudsmen are trained to protect the safety, health, and welfare of residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Alternatively, the public access ombudsman office serves to answer any questions that the public has about the government’s activities. If you’re seeking more information about the public access ombudsman specifically, you can visit the Maryland government’s website.

What Does a Maryland Long-Term Care Ombudsman Do?

The general definition of an ombudsman is someone who investigates and settles complaints made by individuals against organizations. Within the context of long-term care, this typically involves the issues that residents or their families have about facilities. Maryland’s LTC ombudsmen are trained to not only investigate and resolve these issues, but also:

• Educate residents, families, facility staff, and the general public on a variety of issues related to older adults, long-term care, and resident’s rights.
• Provide information and referrals to help older adults and residents resolve concerns and complaints on their own accord.
• Consult facility staff and leaders to make recommendations for protecting the rights of residents and improving their care quality.
• Monitor the conditions in LTC settings and identify significant concerns impacting residents across the state.
• Advocate for local and national policy changes that benefit older adults and residents receiving LTC services.

Who Does an LTC Ombudsman Work With?

Anyone who has questions or concerns about LTC services or the rights of older adults can contact Maryland’s LTC ombudsman for assistance. This includes residents, families or friends of residents, staff of long-term care facilities, or anyone else in the community at large. Here are a few specific examples of why individuals may contact their local ombudsman:

• Family members may be concerned about how a resident is being treated by an LTC provider.
• Patients may not know how or where to select the right LTC services.
• Facility administrators may need help shaping policies on visitation rights or regulatory compliance.
• Facility staff members may be concerned about how theirLTC center is being managed.
• Government leaders may seek consultation on local or federal regulations.

Whether you want to file a formal complaint or you’re simply seeking answers to LTC-related questions, your local ombudsman is available to help. To contact an ombudsman, Maryland residents can visit the LTC ombudsman office’s homepage, which lists the phone numbers of all the regional offices across the state.

Tips for Facilities Working With a LTC Ombudsman

If someone flags an issue about your LTC facility, you’ll likely need to undergo an investigation by your regional ombudsman. While this can feel like a daunting situation, remember that the ombudsman’s goal is to work with you and help you improve the quality of your services. Follow these tips to help your ombudsman resolve the issue as quickly and fairly as possible:

• Work collaboratively with your ombudsman. Your ombudsman will ask you to provide any information about the issue at hand. Be communicative and work alongside your ombudsman to help clarify the situation for all parties involved.

• Be transparent with your staff. If an issue is identified, be transparent with your staff. Provide education with the help of your ombudsman to make your team aware of the issues and appropriate ways to prevent them from happening again.

• Reach out for additional guidance. If your ombudsman makes any suggestions on how to improve your services, follow their advice and don’t hesitate to ask for more help. Your ombudsman is here to guide you through any regulatory questions or concerns you may have beyond your investigation.

Elevate the Quality of Your Care Services

Are you seeking practical ways to act on the advice of your local ombudsman? Maryland facility leaders can start here. IntelyCare provides dozens of free facility management tips and guides written by a team with hands-on healthcare and legal experience.