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Senior Services

LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM

Long Term Care Brochure

Nursing Home Resident Rights

Assisted Living Resident Rights

Gallery

Testimonials

Frequently Asked Questions

The Montgomery County Long Term Care Ombudsman Program serves over 7,700 people living in 34 Nursing Homes and 183 Licensed Assisted Living Facilities in its jurisdiction. The program is designated by the Maryland Department on Aging to operate within the Department of Health and Human Services, Aging & Disability Services. It receives federal, state, and local funding to accomplish its mission of maintaining regular presence and access to services for residents of nursing homes and licensed assisted living facilities. The program supports a cadre of volunteer ombudsman representatives which has received national recognition. As advocates for long term care residents, the staff and volunteers seek to resolve problems, replicate best practices, research current issues and trends, and convey relevant information about topics that promote the highest degree of quality of life and care.

Please click on the link below to view new Maryland Bedhold information

http://mmcp.dhmh.maryland.gov/MCOupdates/pdf/NH_Transmittal_241(7-2012)_1.pdf

Please click on the link below to view our 2012 information sheet

www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/hhs/ads/ombudsmanprogram/mcltcombudsmanprograminformationsheetfeb2012datacharts.pdf

Please click on the link below to view NBC 4 Barbara Harrison, with Bill Jones

Montgomery County LTC Ombudsman Program Volunteer, as one featured guest.

The emphasis was highlighting an opportunity established to honor ¡°Senior Volunteers¡± and recognize their service to the community:

http://www.nbcwashington.com/video/#!/on-air/as-seen-on/Honoring-Senior-Volunteers/141464163

Please use the link below to find comprehensive information about each Maryland licensed long term care facility: such as specific services offered, quality ratings, satisfaction with care (for nursing homes and home health specifically), dates and summaries of OHCQ health and safety inspections, and characteristics of residential facilities (with pictures) size, specialty certification, and other information. Web users can use the ¡°services search¡± section of the Consumer Guide to select Montgomery County or any other county, and then view a list of the LTC services in the county. The guide also has information about planning and paying for long term care. The link to the Consumer Guide home page follows: http://mhcc.maryland.gov/consumerinfo/longtermcare/default.aspx.

The SCAN Foundation National Fact Sheets

February 22, 2012 - TSF National Facts

This series of national fact sheets produced by The SCAN Foundation provides basic information on the ¡°who, what, where, when, why, and how¡± of long©\term care. All the references accessed to produce these fact sheets are provided for further review.

Where is Long Term Care Provided? (Updated August 2012)

Growing Demands for Long Term Care Fact Sheet (Updated June 2012)

Who Needs & Who Uses Long Term Care? (Updated April 2012)

Demographic and Economic Characteristics of Aging Americans (Updated Feb 2012)

Who Provides Long Term Care?

Who Pays for Long Term Care?

Special National Fact Sheets

An Overview of Medicare Savings Programs

Improving the Continuum of Care: Progress on Selected Provisions of the Affordable Care Act One Year Post-Passage

What is an Ombudsman?

"Ombudsman" is a Swedish term for an individual who acts as a 'citizen representative.' The Long Term Care Ombudsman Representative is an advocate whose goal is to promote and strive for the highest quality of care for the residents living in long term care facilities. The

Ombudsman Representative helps residents resolve problems within the long term care facility.

***Please click here for more information!***

Please click on the links below to to view our articles that were in the Beacon Newspaper

http://www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/washington-dc-edition/fitness-health/not-your-grandfather%E2%80%99s-nursing-home.

http://www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/washington-dc-edition/careers-volunteers/advocating-long-term-care-residents

Who can use our services?

v Residents of all licensed long term care facilities in Montgomery County

v Friends and families of residents living in long term care facilities

v Facility staff and administrators

v Public agencies

v Senior citizen groups

v Any person or group out in the community who are interested in residents' well being

v Anyone in the community seeking information in regard to Long-Term Care

***If you would like to become a volunteer click here.***

History

At the Federal level, The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program started as a result of issues that were raised in 1971 during the White House Conference on Aging. In 1978, the Older Americans Act Amendments made the Ombudsman Program mandatory for every state and defined the responsibilities in nursing homes. In 1982, the program was expanded to include the assisted living facilities/group homes nationwide.

The Montgomery County Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, which operates under the Department of Health and Human Services-Aging and Disability Services, started in November 1979 providing services to nursing homes. In May 1997, the County's Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program expanded to include all licensed assisted living facilities/group homes.

The success of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is strongly dependent on the efforts of trained and dedicated volunteers coordinated by program staff within Montgomery County's Aging and Disability Services.

The aging and disabled population is growing at an increasing rate nationwide, as is this population in Montgomery County. These persons are amongst the most frail and vulnerable; and very often need a lot of assistance in improving their quality of life and care.