Nursing Homes: An Overview Of The State System

from LTC Ombudsman Center:


Nursing homes provide care to over 1.7 million people every year. However, many individuals and family members find it a real challenge to select a facility and to ensure appropriate care will be provided. Generally, a nursing home is a residential facility offering daily assistance to individuals who are physically or mentally unable to live independently. Residents are provided rooms, meals, assistance with daily living, nursing services and some medical treatment. Medicare can help pay for skilled nursing facility (SNF) care for up to 100 days in a benefit period when a beneficiary meets certain conditions. Medicaid may also help pay for nursing home care, though coverage varies from state to state. Individuals who require custodial care such as help with eating, bathing, taking medicine and toileting, as well as those who require skilled care may have their nursing home stay paid for by Medicaid if they meet specific financial criteria. 
The long term care system is complex and difficult to understand. The many different agencies responsible to help ensure good care for nursing home residents are listed below.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Ombudsman Information

A Long Term Care Ombudsman is an advocate for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes, and assisted living facilities. Ombudsmen provide information about how to find a facility and what to do to get quality care. They are trained to resolve problems. If you want, the ombudsman can assist you with complaints. However, unless you give the ombudsman permission to share your concerns, these matters are kept confidential. Under the federal Older Americans Act, every state is required to have an Ombudsman Program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long term care system. To find the ombudsman in your state, click here.

Administered by the Administration on Aging (AoA), the ombudsman network has 8,400 volunteers certified to handle complaints and over 1,000 paid staff. Most State Ombudsman Programs are housed in their State Unit on Aging. (See exceptions here.) Nationally, the ombudsman program handles over 264,000 complaints annually and provides information, referrals and consultation to more than 260,000 people. To learn more about the ombudsman program, go to the AoA website.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/