Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Q. What is an Ombudsman?
A. The term “ombudsman” describes someone who works with governments and institutions on behalf of ordinary citizens.
- A Long-Term Care Ombudsman advocates for residents of nursing homes and residential care facilities.
- An ombudsman receives, investigates and resolves complaints on behalf of nursing home residents and their families.
- An ombudsman regularly visits residents to hear their concerns and complaints.
Q. What kind of issues does an Ombudsman deal with?
A. Contact an Ombudsman if you have concerns about any of the following issues:
- Finances
- Medicaid eligibility
- Restraints
- Guardianship
- Food quality
- Transfers or discharges
- Room temperature
- Social activities
- Rights restrictions
- Care plans
Arkansas Long-Term Ombudsman Website: https://www.arombudsman.com/
Choices in Living
Q. What kinds of services can I get from the Choices in Living Resource Center?
A. The types of services we can offer include: Information and assistance, long-term care options counseling , and access to publicly funded long-term care programs such as ARChoices in Homecare, Independent Choices, and Living Choices.
Q. What is information and assistance?
A. Specialists in the resource center provide you with information about services, resources, and programs in areas such as living arrangements, support in care giving, energy assistance, assistive technology, and many other publicly funded programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid.
Q. What is Options Counseling?
A. In the 2007 Regular Session, the General Assembly passed a bill that was enacted as Act 516, creating the Options Counseling program within the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Options Counseling seeks to ensure that individuals seeking long-term care services receive complete information concerning services that match their needs. The program provides information to an individual (or the individual’s representative) who: Seeks an Options Counseling consultation; Seeks admission to a long term care facility, regardless of payment source; or Resides in a long-term care facility and applies for Medicaid reimbursement.
Choices in Living Resource Center: https://humanservices.arkansas.gov/divisions-shared-services/provider-services-quality-assurance/choices-in-living-resource-center/
