Your Long-Term Care Ombudsman is a resident-directed representative who is authorized by federal and state law to assist consumers with questions and problems relating to long-term care - nursing homes, assisted care living facilities, and homes for the aged.
Your Long-Term Care Ombudsman helps residents to:
ask for what they want and need,
understand what to expect from their nursing home (or other long term care setting), and
resolve a complaint, when the resident consents to our involvement.
Your Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman can help you choose a Nursing Home, Assisted Care Living Facility, or Home for the Aged that’s right for you or your loved one.
Your LTC Ombudsman can help you understand and exercise resident rights that are protected by federal and state law.
LTC Ombudsman responds to residents' complaints and work to resolve problems through education, negotiation, mediation, representation, referrals and participation in the legislative process.
LTC Ombudsman also represents the consumers' perspective in national, state and local legislative and policy arenas and through membership in various advocacy groups.
District LTC Ombudsman trains and supports volunteer Ombudsman.
Who does the MCHRA- Long Term Care Ombudsman Program serve?
Cheatham, Montgomery, Robertson, Stewart, Sumner, Trousdale and Wilson counties. To ask a long-term care question or make a complaint about long-term care in these counties contact:
600 Small Street, Suite 102-D
Gallatin, TN 37066
Call 615-452-5259
Email: spitt@mchra.com
Our Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program also serves Davidson, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys, Rutherford and Williamson counties. To ask a long-term care question or make a complaint about long-term care in these counties contact:
600 Small Street, Suite 102-D
Gallatin, TN 37066
(615) 452-1687
Email: pbedwell@mchra.com
If you live outside our area, you can locate the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program serving your county in Tennessee by contacting the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 615-741-2056 or visiting the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability website at www.tn.gov/comaging
Resident Rights
Your Long-Term Care Ombudsman can help you understand and exercise rights that are protected by federal and state law.
Nursing Home Resident's Bill of Rights
Residents have the right to:
A safe and clean living environment
Privacy
Information
Exercise Their Civil Rights
Participate In Or Refuse Treatment
Voice Grievances, Without Retaliation
Manage Personal Finances
Adequate And Appropriate Medical And Nursing Care
Be Free Of Physical And Chemical Restraints
Take Part In Community Activities
Be Treated With Courtesy And Respect
Private Visits And Unrestricted Communications
Not To Be Transferred Or Discharged From The Home
Be Free From Physical, Verbal, Mental, And Emotional Abuse.
Most of our LTC Ombudsman Volunteers do weekly visits to an assigned nursing home - getting to know residents, helping them understand and exercise their rights. Other LTC Ombudsman Volunteers may choose to distribute information or provide education to resident, family, or community groups about our services. We match each certified Volunteer Ombudsman's interests and preferences to one of the approved activities listed below.
Observe and visit with residents of nursing homes & their families
Work with residents to resolve basic concerns
Provide information to the public about the ombudsman program or resident rights
Assist an Ombudsman to resolve a resident's problem with a nursing home
Follow up with a resident to make sure that their problem has been resolved
Provide presentations to community groups about our program
Currently our program has 28 certified LTC Ombudsman Volunteers and we are eager to train and support more volunteers who are interested in assisting us to better serve the estimated 12,000 residents residing in long term care facilities in our 13 county area.
How Do I Become a Volunteer Ombudsman?
MCHRA-Long Term Care Ombudsman team trains volunteers on
long term care issues and the rights of persons who live in nursing homes and long term care facilities. To learn more about becoming a volunteer, call 615-452-5259 or 615-452-1687; or complete the application in the Program Links box (above-right); or email us at spitt@mchra.com or pbedwell@mchra.com.
Protecting the rights of individuals residing in long-term care facilities.
Works to resolve problems or complaints affecting long-term care residents through investigation, mediation and counseling.
Identifies problem areas in long-term care and advocates for change.
Provides information about long-term care and related services.
Promotes resident, family and community involvement in long-term care.
Routinely visits long-term care facilities.
For more than 30 years, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program has assisted elderly residents and prospective residents of nursing homes, assisted living and residential homes.
