Ombudsman Skills

Translating Nursing Home Ombudsman Skills to Assisted Living: Something Old, Something New 

Conference Call Training - May 25 and 27, 2004  
Featured Speaker: Robyn Grant

Nearly 250 state and local long-term care ombudsmen participated in two conference call trainings (May 25 & May 27, 2004) hosted by the Ombudsman Resource Center on Translating Nursing Home Ombudsman Skills From Nursing Homes to Assisted Living, a paper developed for the ORC by Robyn Grant, ORC Consultant and former Indiana State LTC Ombudsman. The paper discusses strategies used by long-term care ombudsmen in nursing homes and how to use those same skills in the assisted living setting; plus looks at new advocacy strategies for the assisted living arena.

Resources:

The Translating Nursing Home Ombudsman Skills to Assisted Living paper 
http://www.ltcombudsman.org//uploads/TranslatingNHtoALAdvocacy0303.pdf

Case Studies

National Center for Assisted Living 2004 Review of State Assisted Living Regulations
http://www.ncal.org/about/2004_reg_review.pdf

Recent GAO Report Assisted Living: Examples of State Efforts to Improve Consumer Protections, May 27, 2004, GAO-04-684 http://www.gao.gov

TRANSLATING NURSING HOME OMBUDSMAN SKILLS TO ASSISTED LIVING

Case Study #1

When Elizabeth Peters was admitted to the assisted living facility, she was assessed and determined to meet the criteria for the facility’s “Level 1” package of services.  Eight months later, Mrs. Peters received a notice informing her that the nursing staff has determined that she now needs more nursing assistance and has been switched to the “Level 2” package of services. Staff particularly note that Mrs. Peters needs help getting in and out of the bathtub as she has already fallen two times (without injury) while bathing.  The cost for the Level 2 services is higher than it is for the Level 1 package.  Mrs. Peters and her family do not believe she needs the care included in the Level 2 package and certainly don’t want to be charged a higher rate.  

Mrs. Peters has asked you, the ombudsman, to help her fight the change to Level 2 services.

Discussion Questions

1.  Identify some of the issues in this case.

2.  Does your state have any assisted living regulations that you could use to help Mrs. Peters?  If yes, identify 2-3 regulations that would be most helpful.

3.  What else might you use “as leverage” to help Mrs. Peters in addition to or instead of assisted living regulations?

4.  Identify the specific nursing home or assisted living strategies you would utilize in this case and how you would apply them.

Case Study #2

Mr. William Phillips has lived in an assisted living facility for 18 months.  He recently suffered a stroke that has left him paralyzed on his left side. Despite extensive rehabilitation therapy, he is no longer ambulatory and is unable to maneuver a wheelchair on his own.  The facility has issued Mr. Phillips a transfer/discharge notice, stating that it can no longer meet his needs.

Mr. Phillips wants to remain in the facility and asks you to help him.  He tells you that one reason he chose this facility was because he was told he could “age in place” and not have to move to a nursing home.

Discussion Questions

1.  Does your state have any assisted living regulations that you could use to help Mr. Phillips?  If yes, identify 2-3 regulations that would be most helpful.

2. What else might you use “as leverage” to help Mr. Phillips in addition to or instead of assisted living regulations?

3.  Identify the specific nursing home or assisted living strategies you would utilize in this case and how you would apply them.