CALA News & Views | Issue 46 | Relationships

The OAA requires Ombudsman programs to: • Identify, investigate, and resolve complaints made by or on behalf of residents. • Provide information to residents about LTSS. • Ensure that residents have regular and timely access to ombudsman services. • Represent the interests of residents before governmental agencies and seek administrative, legal, and other remedies to protect residents; and • Analyze, comment on, and recommend changes in laws and regulations pertaining to the health, safety, welfare, and rights of residents (Programs & Harris-Wehling J). What goals do you hope to accomplish? As I mentioned in my background, I have been working to improve the long-term care services and supports system in our state and, perhaps, our nation. I have many goals I would like to accomplish during my time at the California Department of Aging’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. The role of the LTC Ombudsman representative took on a role of greater need and visibility during the COVID-19 public health crisis. The LTC Ombudsman has always been the advocate that represents the wishes of the resident. However, during the pandemic, the LTC Ombudsman representatives became the eyes and ears and–at times–the only people who could enter facilities to meet with residents or check on the well-being of residents as the result of a complaint. Therefore, one of my main priorities is to utilize the rich data that the Ombudsman Program has and can share with the public, legislators, advocates, and stakeholders to demonstrate the need to increase the funding for the program. We are required to conduct regular facility visits, in over 1,200 nursing homes and almost 7,500 residential care facilities for the elderly. However, we have experienced an increase in the number of complaints we handle in all these facilities, resulting in over 40,000 complaints we investigated and closed in 2022. The top five complaints we investigate in all types of facilities are: physical abuse, neglect, and exploitation; eviction and involuntary discharges; care, infection control, and medications. Current annual funding for the LTC Ombudsman Program is less than $18 million annually (state and federal funds I am pleased to announce that the Ombudsman Program was awarded $1.9 million from the Administration on Community Living (ACL) that will be used to develop, design, and implement a statewide volunteer recruitment campaign in 2023-24.

Ombudsman Program was awarded $1.9 million from the Administration on Community Living (ACL) that will be used to develop, design, and implement a statewide volunteer recruitment campaign in 2023-24. In addition, the Governor approved $3.5 million for the California Department of Aging, part of which will be used in the LTC Ombudsman Program to design, develop and deploy revised, culturally and linguistically relevant collateral messages and materials to inform the public about the LTC Ombudsman program and how to access their local program for assistance. I would like to strengthen the state LTC Ombudsman Program so we have a robust training team to support the local program volunteers and staff to ensure all Ombudsman are receiving uniform training at all levels. The previous state Ombudsman served 20 years and saw many changes in that time. What new challenges do you anticipate in the years ahead?

Joe Rodrigues was a tireless advocate for Older Adults in LTC facilities and served the people of California well in his 20 years of service. He established a solid foundation of policies and procedures upon which the LTC Ombudsman Program needed to be an effective

By 2030 over 11 million Californian’s will be 60 years and older. With this growing older population, the need for an effective, affordable long-term care system is here now.

program. I am humbled to have been given this opportunity to be the State’s LTC Ombudsman, and the challenges we are facing are the following: By 2030 over 11 million Californian’s will be 60 years and older. The population is diverse; we have over 40 percent of the state’s population that is Hispanic/ Latino, AAPI, and Black. With this growing older population, the need for an effective, affordable long-term care system is here now. We must create a system of care that provides a path for professional advancement beginning with a living wage for the caregiving workforce, benefits and better training. In addition, the Biden Administration issued a directive to reform the quality of care in nursing homes. We, as a state, need to work in collaboration with the long-term care industry, advocates, and policy makers to try new approaches to how we pay for long-term care, not only increasing enforcements for bad actors, but incentivizing performance outcomes. We also need to establish and enforce minimum staffing standards in California that take into account the higher acuity level of care many residents in long-term care require. Another challenge, besides setting minimum standards, and enforcing them, is preventing the eviction/illegal discharges that often result in older adults being unhoused. We need to come to a solution in California that will provide middle-income individuals to be able to afford paying for long-term services and supports wherever they may need them.

combined), to fund 35 local LTC Ombudsman programs and about 700 volunteers and

staff. Therefore, in addition to increasing the funding to build local capacity, I am pleased to announce that the

6 CALIFORNIA ASSISTED LIVING ASSOCIATION

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