Standardized Ombudsman Orientation

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Standardized Ombudsman Orientation
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WELCOME to the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program

• You are joining a wonderfully dedicated team 1000
  strong across PA including 100 staff, 600
  volunteers and 300 PEERs

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What is an Ombudsman?

• Federally established under the Older Americans
  Act 1965
• The program funded to assist nursing home
  residents resolve their problems with quality of
  care.
• A Swedish term meaning citizens representative
• The PA Department of Aging (PDA) contracts with
  52 AAAs to deliver services on a local level.

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The Six Components of the Ombudsman Program

• Consumer directed
• Legally based
• Impartial
• Highly visible
• Access to facilities, residents, records
• Non-partisan

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What is PEER?

• Pennsylvania Empowered Expert Residents
• Initiated in Spring 2002 by a pioneering group of
  residents in Cambria County interested in
  training to improve their self-advocacy skills.
• PEERs complete a series of 5 training sessions
• PEERs advocate on behalf of themselves and fellow
  residents in long term care settings.
• Volunteer Ombudsmen can and do - train new
  PEERs, help with PEER meetings and meet with
  PEERs regularly to address issues in the
  facilities they visit.

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What is a ROC? Regional Ombudsman Coordinator

• Under contract with PDAs State Ombudsmans
  Office (4 currently)
• Assist the Area Agencies on Aging with volunteer
  recruitment, training, Technical Assistance and
  management.
• Develop newsletters for the Ombudsman Program.
• Maintain resource library of videos and books
  available to staff and volunteer Ombudsman
• Who is your ROC?

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Getting to know your local program

• Do you know how many volunteers we have in our
  county and how many hours they volunteered last
  year alone?
• Do you know how valuable you will be to our
  program?
• Do you know who will be your supervisor?
• Do you know there are many training opportunities
  available to you?
• Do you know how often will we meet?
• Do you know what is a conflict of interest?

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The Starfish Story

• Thank You for Choosing to Make a Difference!

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Consumer Resident

• Nothing begins or ends without the consent of the
  Resident.
• You should always knock before entering a
  residents room and get permission before
  entering.
• It is imperative that Resident direct all
  activities, even the visit.
• If the resident says no, we should always
  respect their wishes.

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Quality of Life is the Universal Goal of the
Ombudsman program

• Quality of life is different for each and every
  one of us.
• The goal is to strive for those individual
  differences and the challenge is how the facility
  can meet them.
• As Ombudsmen, we must respect each individual's
  right to quality of life and attempt to advocate
  for that in each situation.

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Scope and Limitations of the Ombudsman Program

• As trained Ombudsmen, you have access to
  facilities and the consumers served there.
• Only consumers can deny access
• You are not an undercover agent
• Remember that you work for the client/consumer
• We do not act without the clients consent
• Confusion is not a legal finding of incompetence
  or incapacity

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How many hats can you wear?

• Educator
• Visible Presence
• Enabler
• Broker
• Catalyst
• Facilitator
• Mediator
• Negotiator
• Advocate
• Complainant
  

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Imminent Risk

• What is Imminent Risk?
• What do you do if you witness
• No food in the facility to feed residents and the
  administrator cannot be reached
• Batteries removed from smoke detectors
• An incident of physical abuse

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Self-advocacy is Extremely Important

• Ombudsmen cannot be
• everywhere at all times for all clients.
• Ombudsmen
• seek to empower
• consumers to self-advocate.

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Why do we need Volunteer Ombudsman?

• Increase Timeliness
• Volunteers who live in a particular town or
  geographic area can make more prompt initial
  contacts with consumers.
• Expand Skills and Expertise
• Volunteers bring many skills to the Ombudsman
  program such as language, computer and office
  management skills.
• Increase Personalization of Service
• When consumers have increase exposure to the
  Ombudsman Program, trust and credibility increase.

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What are your talents?
Why do we need Volunteer Ombudsman? (continued)

• Expand Service/Hours
• Volunteers can reach more residents and can visit
  during evenings and weekends
• Expanded Knowledge Base
• The more contact the Ombudsman Program has with
  long term care providers and its consumers, the
  more current and accurate our knowledge base
  becomes.

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An Ombudsman is NOT!

• A care provider
• A surveyor or regulator
• A vigilante
• An undercover agent
• A financial, medical or spiritual advisor
• The answer to all problems

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Clear Expectations

• Job description
• Time commitment
• Facility assignment

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Confidentiality

• Confidentiality Statement
• All conversations with consumer about his/her
  case need to occur in private
• Safeguard records
• Avoid gossip
• Redirect questions
• Be an advocate - respect confidentiality
• Respect the Consumers choice (Right to share or
  withdraw)

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Ombudsman Code of Ethics

• Respect for Human Dignity
• Self-determination and Self-resolution
• Respect consumers or legal representatives
  wishes
• Acts to Protect Against Abuse, Neglect,
  Exploitation and Abandonment
• Safeguards the Consumers Right to
  Confidentiality and Privacy
• Maintains Competence in Areas Relevant to Long
  Term Living System

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Ombudsman Code of Ethics

• Provide Advocacy Services Unrestricted by His/Her
  Personal Beliefs
• Promotes a Quality Long Term Living System
• Acts to Maintain the Integrity of the Long Term
  Care Ombudsman Program
• Supports a Strict Conflict of Interest Standard
• Conducts Him/Herself in a Manner that Strengthens
  the Local, Statewide and National Ombudsman
  Network

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Long Term Care ServicesNursing Facilities

• Do you know what a Nursing Facility is and what
  are other names for them?
• Did you know that the Department of Health
  regulates Nursing Facilities in Pennsylvania?
• A person entering a Nursing Facility must be
  deemed appropriate for that level of care. Do you
  know level of care is assessed?

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Long Term Care ServicesPersonal Care Homes

• Do you know what a personal care home is and what
  are other names for them?
• Did you know that the Department of Welfare
  regulates Personal Care Homes in Pennsylvania?

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Long Term Care ServicesDomiciliary Care Homes
(DOM CARE)

• Do you know what a DOM CARE home is?
• Did you know that the Department of Aging is the
  regulatory oversight for DOM CARE homes in
  Pennsylvania?

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Other LTC Services in Pennsylvania

• Community Based Services
• Older Adult Day Care Centers

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Long Term Care Services

• Do you know how many Personal Care Homes there
  are in this county?
• Do you know how many Nursing Facilities are in
  this county?
• How about DOM Care Homes and Older Adult Day Care
  Centers?
• Where would you like to volunteer?

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Resident Rights

• Can You Pass the Resident Rights Quiz?

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Protective Services

• Types of Abuse
• Key People in Protective Services
• Imminent Risk and Criteria for Protective
  Services Referral
• Mandatory Reporting
• After-Hour Emergencies
• How Does Protective Service Interface with the
  Ombudsman Program?

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Tier One Training

• One full day of training 830 AM 400 PM
• You must complete the full day to receive your
  Certificate and Badge
• There will be a focus on Communication Skills,
  Confidentiality, Observation Skills, How to Make
  Facility Visits, Quality of Life and
  Documentation Skills

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• WELCOME TO OUR TEAM!