Long-Term Care Ombudsman

The Ombudsman is a professional acting as an advocate for client in exercising their rights or in helping them to negotiate the complex rules and regulations of a given bureaucracy. The ombudsman's role is not one of regulator or enforcer of laws and standards, but of advocate and negotiator, specifically for the residents of long term care facilities. In North Carolina the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program is a three tiered approach:

1. State Long Term Care Ombudsman

2. Regional Ombudsman

3. Local Community Advisory Committees

The Regional Long Term Care Ombudsman located in the Isothermal Planning and Development Commission Area Agency on Aging is delegated the authority from the State to perform certain functions under the Older Americans Act. The Regional Ombudsman is the connecting link between the State Ombudsman and the Community Advisory Committees (CAC’s). The Regional Ombudsman's role, in addition to advocacy responsibilities, is to provide training, technical assistance, and on-going support to the CAC’s and to assist in complaint investigation and resolution as necessary.

Community Advisory Committee
This committee is the result of legislation passed by the 1981 North Carolina General Assembly and revised in 1983. In passing this legislation it was the intent of the General Assembly that each community in the state should take an active role in promoting the interests and well being of all residents of adult care homes.

Adult care homes include Family Care Homes, Homes for the Aged and Disabled, and Homes for Developmentally Disabled Adults.

Updated: 05/29/2008