Long-Term Care Ombudsmen: Protecting rights and empowering residents
Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsmen advocate for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities to improve residents' care and quality of life.
An Ombudsman can be a volunteer or paid employee who is independent of any conflict of interest with a long-term care facility. Ombudsmen services are free and confidential.
Types of services an Ombudsman can provide:
- Education to inform residents, families, facility staff and others on a variety of issues related to aging, long-term care, and resident's rights.
- Information and referral to empower individuals to resolve concerns and complaints on their own behalf.
- Consultation to make recommendations for protecting the rights of residents and improving their care and quality of life.
- Individual advocacy to facilitate the resolution of concerns and complaints and to protect the rights of residents.
- Systems advocacy to identify significant concerns and problematic trends and to advocate for systemic changes that will benefit current and future residents of long-term care facilities.
Meet your Howard County Ombudsman Team
Program staff and volunteers gathered in April 2024 for training and to recognize our volunteers for their services to our nursing home and assisted living residents during Volunteer Appreciation Month. From (L) to (R): Program staff Chris Hobbs, Ombudsman, Katy Lee, Program Manager, and Monique Harkless, Ombudsman, and Volunteer Ombudsmen Jean Grady, Sonya Johnson, Margaret Bowers, Joan Cannon, Patricia Chandler, Emily Morris, and George Scavdis.
Resources
Residents Rights Video (View in English or Korean)
Do you know your rights as a resident of an assisted living facility or nursing home? View the Residents' Rights video to learn more, below.
Become a Volunteer Ombudsman
Ombudsmen enrich the lives of Long-Term Care residents. Ombudsman volunteers receive training to help empower residents of long-term care to live with dignity, to ensure the quality of care they receive and utilize their skills to advocate for their rights.
Regulations
Code of Maryland Regulations for nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The Office of Health Care Quality (OHCQ) is the regulatory agency for long term care. Click below to view the regulations.
File a complaint or concern
If you have a concern or complaint about a resident in a nursing home or assisted living in Howard County, contact the local Long Term Care Ombudsman at 410-313-6423 or email them at LTCOmbudsman@howardcountymd.gov.
Report Abuse
If you suspect abuse in a long term care setting, contact Howard County Department of Social Services Adult Protective Services unit at 410-872-8823 or 1-800-91-PREVENT (1-800-917-7383).
You may also contact the LTC Ombudsman at 410-313-6423 (voice/relay).
Housing Options
Explore nursing home and assisted living options in Howard County.
To explore Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Centers in the region, visit the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Care Compare website
