The Crucial Role of Long-Term Care Ombudsmen: Insights from the National Ombudsman Reporting System
Article Publication Date
Summary
Long-Term Care Ombudsmen Program (LTCOP) is the sole federal program dedicated to receiving and addressing the complaints of over two million Americans relying on nursing homes and assisted living facilities for essential services.
AARP recently released a report exploring trends in complaints, volunteer capacity, supports provided, and more for LTCOP. Key takeaways include:
- Volunteerism drives the LTCOP yet reported volunteer hours declined by more than half since 2016, from more than 600,000 hours to less than 300,000 hours in 2024.
- Loss of LTCOP volunteer capacity coincides with increasing need for their support. There were more complaints in 2024 than 2016 and specifically more complaints related to resident care.
- Individual ombudsmen face increasing pressures and on average are responsible for more beds per capita, increasing from 350 beds in 2016 to 603 in 2024.
- The LTCOP provides an important support for family caregivers and other family members of long-term care recipients, who make about one in four complaints ombudsmen receive each year.
AARP recently released a report exploring trends in complaints, volunteer capacity, supports provided, and more for LTCOP. Key takeaways include:
- Volunteerism drives the LTCOP yet reported volunteer hours declined by more than half since 2016, from more than 600,000 hours to less than 300,000 hours in 2024.
- Loss of LTCOP volunteer capacity coincides with increasing need for their support. There were more complaints in 2024 than 2016 and specifically more complaints related to resident care.
- Individual ombudsmen face increasing pressures and on average are responsible for more beds per capita, increasing from 350 beds in 2016 to 603 in 2024.
- The LTCOP provides an important support for family caregivers and other family members of long-term care recipients, who make about one in four complaints ombudsmen receive each year.