A Long Term Care Ombudsman is someone who advocates on behalf of people who reside in long term care facilities. In Pennsylvania, these include nursing homes, personal care homes domiciliary care homes, and adult day centers. The ombudsman educates people about resident rights and the long-term care system. The ombudsman also investigates and attempts to resolve complaints on behalf of people who receive services from long term care facilities. Each year CARIE’s project sponsors an event called Golden Games, a competition among nursing home residents. For more information, go to: Golden Games
The Long Term Care Ombudsman will:
- Advocate on behalf of consumers for enhanced quality of life and care relating to personal care and nursing care, environment, food and activities.
- Educate consumers about their rights pertaining to: admissions, transfer and discharge, personal funds, physician services, nursing and personal care.
- Answer questions about long term care services and programs such as Medical Assistance and Medicare benefits.
- Protect the identity of complainants upon request and respect confidentiality.
CARIE provides ombudsman services through the Philadelphia Long Term Care Ombudsman Program funded by Philadelphia Corporation for Aging and the Pennsylvania Department of Aging. There are two ombudsman programs in Philadelphia.
CARIE’s Ombudsman Program serves consumers in long-term care located in Center City, South Philadelphia, Southwest Philadelphia, North Philadelphia and West Philadelphia.
To contact an ombudsman at CARIE call 215-545-5724 or 1-800-356-3606.
NIM’s (Neighborhood Interfaith Movement) Ombudsman Program serves consumers in long-term care located in Northeast and Northwest Philadelphia.
To contact an ombudsman at NIM call 215-843-0304.
If you reside in another part of Pennsylvania, the Department of Aging administers the Ombudsman Program statewide for consumers 60 years of age or older through contracts with each of the 52 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) in Pennsylvania. In fact, since the Ombudsman Program is mandated by the Older Americans Act, there is an ombudsman in every part of the country. To find an ombudsman in your area, please call the CARIE LINE at 215-545-5728 or 1-800-356-3606. You may also submit an inquiry online via the “Get Help” link.
Interested in becoming a Volunteer Ombudsman? Please see the volunteer description for more information.
