Resources
Navigating elder care and elder rights can be daunting. Below are some resources to build your knowledge and help you get started.
What is a Long-term Care Ombudsman?
In a nutshell, ombudsmen are volunteers who advocate for residents of long-term care facilities. They work to ensure residents are well cared for and their dignity and rights are respected. Unfortunately, their visits are infrequent and not every resident may be seen during the visit. By Florida law, ombudsmen are only required to visit assisted living facilities and adult care homes once per quarter and nursing homes once per month.
When an ombudsman finds improper care, hopefully it can be resolved on the spot. If not, they can open cases that are tracked by AHCA, the Agency for Healthcare Administration. Every facility has an assigned ombudsman, or should. If the facility cannot provide their phone number, contact your district or region.
Contacting your regional ombudsman.
The Florida Long-term Care Ombudsman Program is broken into regions. If you need assistance with rectifying inadequate care provided by an assisted living facility, nursing home, or adult care home, contact the facility's ombudsman or the region in which your loved one resides.
How to choose a care facility.
It's a mixed bag out there. There are beautiful facilities, while others leave a lot to be desired. Money plays a factor, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to the heart of the staff. Here you'll find a flyer on things to consider, as well as links to state databases on ratings and inspection reports for Florida care facilities, doctors, and hospice services.
Nursing Home Resources
A repository of Florida statutes and Bill of Rights for residents of Nursing Homes, as well as advocacy handouts specific to nursing home concerns.
Assisted Living Resources
A repository of Florida statutes and Bill of Rights for residents of Assisted Living Facilities (ALF).
What is Guardianship?
Guardianship is a much more formalized way to care for individuals deemed incapacitated. It involves court orders, lawyers, and state registered professional guardians. The guardian's role is to make decisions for the "ward." They personally do not provide care, but they have the authority to hire whomever is needed to support their ward. Guardians are given oversight of either the person's property or person or both. That determination is up to the courts.
How to File a Complaint
For residents of Florida, depending on the concern, you can either contact the Agency for Health Care Administration or Adult Protective Services. Click below for more information.
Helpful Phone Numbers.
This list provides contact information for specialized elder services and hotlines.
Facts About Retaliation
Retaliation is an insidious evil lurking in any facility. Federal law prohibits retaliation of any kind. Being free from the fear of retaliation is also a right of individuals in long-term care. As the first line of defense for your loved one, this video helps you know what to look for and how to counter this behavior.