Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging (ENOA)

The Long-term Care Ombudsman volunteer is an advocate for residents living in local long-term care facilities and assisted living communities. The volunteers seek to resolve issues and concerns residents may have and protect resident's rights, well-being, and quality of life. Volunteers must be 21 and older, complete 24 hours of initial classroom training and 18 hours of additional training every year. During the training, the volunteers will learn about resident rights, aging issues, Medicare, Medicaid, communication skills, how to investigate the residents' complaints, and federal and state regulations regarding facilities. After the training, Ombudsman volunteers are assigned to a facility where they will visit two hours per week, based on the volunteer's schedule. They will meet with administrators, residents, and the resident's family members to address concerns.