Why you might need an Ombudsman?

Transcript of Interview: “Why you might need an Ombudsman?”

Mike Barnes:

We hear the questions all the time about what do I do if I run into a problem with where Mom and Dad or Mom or Dad live. So, you might need a little bit of help with that. 

Kim Barnes:

Today, we are bringing in Suzanna Sulfstede from The Senior Source in Dallas. Thanks so much for being with us today.

Suzanna Sulfstede:

Thanks for having me.

Kim Barnes:

You are what’s called an ombudsman. I’ve worked really hard to make sure everyone knows how to say that. I think that can be a little bit of a confusing term where you sort of think you might know what it is. What exactly is an ombudsman?

Suzanna Sulfstede:

Absolutely. When I tell people I’m an ombudsman, I often just get kind of a blank stare on their faces, so I totally get that. The long-term care ombudsman program is a state and federally mandated program. Ombudsmen work to protect the health, safety, welfare, and rights of individuals who live in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. We do that by making regular unannounced visits. We don’t tell the facilities when we’re coming. We go room to room talking with the residents about their care and then identifying and working to resolve complaints on their behalf.

Mike Barnes:

That’s probably the first thing we need to point out. Like, my dad lives in independent living, so that doesn’t apply, but my mom’s in memory care, so it would apply to her.

Suzanna Sulfstede:

Absolutely. Ombudsmen are available to assist with concerns in any licensed assisted living facility, which can include memory care as well as nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities.

Kim Barnes:

What kinds of things are you potentially looking for when you’re doing these unannounced tours? When might a family come to you?

Suzanna Sulfstede:

That’s a great question. We are there to address any concern that impacts the life of residents in the facility. When we’re making our visits, we go room to room talking with residents about their care. We’re also using our own observation skills, checking to see if there are a lot of call bells going off unanswered, if residents are lined up in their wheelchairs along the wall in the hallway, or if they are engaged in meaningful activities. We look at how staff are interacting with them and if there are any odors throughout the facility, as that can indicate the quality of care. We address a range of issues, from care-related complaints, medications, food quality, to improper discharges where a facility is trying to illegally evict a resident.

Mike Barnes:

How do we know when to go to an ombudsman as opposed to just going to management or ownership or anyone who actually works there?

Suzanna Sulfstede:

We definitely encourage residents and family members to address concerns themselves and to take those directly to the facility staff. Sometimes they may not know who the appropriate person is at the facility. Ombudsmen can be a resource, a sounding board for residents and families. We can help point them in the right direction of who to talk with at the facility. We encourage them to follow the chain of command—maybe if it’s a nursing care issue, talk with the director of nursing or the administrator. If they’re not getting a response, then reach out to the corporate office. If it’s a regulatory violation, they can file a formal complaint with the state regulatory agency.

Some residents and family members aren’t comfortable voicing the complaint themselves and fear retaliation. It’s important to know that anything a resident or family member tells an ombudsman is confidential. We must have resident consent before taking any action to address the concern or having any conversation with the facility staff. In many situations, if we have consent, the ombudsman will work to get the complaint addressed on their behalf.

Kim Barnes:

What’s probably one of the most common concerns that you hear from families when they call you?

Suzanna Sulfstede:

Right now, especially since COVID, it’s really been complaints related to staffing. Facilities not having enough staff to meet the needs of the residents can be reflected in the amount of time it takes for staff to respond when a resident pushes their call button for assistance, in food being cold by the time it’s served, and in various other ways. Staffing issues are probably the number one complaint we’re getting right now.

Mike Barnes:

I can picture everyone who’s watching the video right now saying, “This is exactly what I need. How do I find that? Where do I go?” Some people live in the city, some in the country. Does it matter where we are throughout the USA? Can we get one anywhere?

Suzanna Sulfstede:

Absolutely. The long-term care ombudsman program is both state and federally mandated, which means every nursing home and every assisted living facility in the country is served by an ombudsman program. The easiest way to find your local ombudsman is to reach out to your local Area Agency on Aging. Here in Texas, there are 28 area agencies on aging, and most of the ombudsman programs are housed within that organization. My program here in Dallas County is subcontracted out to a local non-profit. The easiest way would be to reach out to the Area Agency on Aging. That would be anywhere in the country; just call your Area Agency on Aging in your area and find out. If the ombudsman program isn’t housed within their organization, they’ll be able to direct you to the right place.

Kim Barnes:

There’s also a component of being able to get information about long-term care facilities if you are looking for your parent to go to one.

Suzanna Sulfstede:

Absolutely. Not only are we in facilities working to address complaints, but we also are a resource for people in the community who are going through the overwhelming process of choosing a facility for a loved one. Ombudsmen can’t recommend facilities, but we can help narrow the list of options based on someone’s needs. For example, if Mom has dementia and is wandering and needs a secured memory care facility, we can narrow it that way. If they’re looking in a certain geographic area, we’ll narrow it based on that. We can provide information to guide them through that process, including questions to ask, things to look for, and observations to make while touring facilities. As they narrow their list of facilities, we can get them connected with the ombudsman assigned to each of those facilities, who can provide information about common complaints at those homes. We can also help them access the state’s most recent licensing inspection and help interpret information about any deficiencies they may have received.

Mike Barnes:

You mentioned something interesting—each ombudsman is assigned certain communities?

Suzanna Sulfstede:

Yes, that’s correct. Every facility is served by an ombudsman. We have paid staff ombudsmen and certified volunteer ombudsmen who help us in these efforts. Our volunteers complete the same certification training that we do as staff and serve in the same role.

Kim Barnes:

Do we ever have to worry about not enough ombudsmen to go around? What if I call with a complaint and it’s like, “Well, we can get to you in December”?

Suzanna Sulfstede:

Hopefully not here in Dallas County. We definitely work to respond promptly when we get those calls. Is there a need for more ombudsmen? Always. We’re always looking for more volunteers to help us in our efforts because the need is huge and continues to grow as baby boomers reach retirement age. If somebody reaches out to our program, you will get a response, and we will work to help get the complaint addressed.

Kim Barnes:

It’s good to know that an ombudsman can help guide and provide resources or go in and do the investigating for the family.

Mike Barnes:

I love the fact that it’s an independent, impartial opinion.

Suzanna Sulfstede:

Absolutely. I get that question a lot when I’m out in my facilities making visits. Residents will ask where my office is at the facility. I have to let them know that I’m completely independent from the facility. I don’t work for anyone other than the resident. We are a resident-directed program, and we follow the wishes of the residents in terms of any actions we take.

Kim Barnes:

There are likely people watching who may have a parent in an independent living type community. It’s important to know that that’s not considered a long-term care community, so that would not fall under the ombudsman. It’s more like being a tenant in an apartment.

Suzanna Sulfstede:

Yes, that’s correct.

Kim Barnes:

A tenant association or something like that would be where you’d go for concerns in an independent living type of community. It’s a little bit different.

Mike Barnes:

What about continuing care communities where you have independent living but also have assisted living and skilled nursing?

Suzanna Sulfstede:

Continuing care retirement communities offer all different levels of care, from independent living to assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing. Ombudsmen are available to provide services for everything except for the independent community. For any other level of care, we are a resource and make visits to those parts of the facility.

Kim Barnes:

That’s great to know.

Mike Barnes:

You’ve cleared up a lot of confusion, and I think you’re definitely going to help a lot of people because of this. Thank you so much.

Suzanna Sulfstede:

Thank you again. We’re here to help and happy to assist in any way we can.

Kim Barnes:

It’s great to know there’s a resource if you need to bounce some ideas off someone, if you’re not sure who to talk to, or if you’re scared and need someone to do it for you.

Mike Barnes:

Exactly. Having someone who can be on your side is always good to know. If there’s any topic you’d like us to discuss, please let us know. Parenting Aging Parents.

*This transcript is auto-generated. Please excuse any typos or mistakes.