Are ombudsmen genuinely impartial when dealing with definitive neglect in a NH or are they just supposed to be impartial?

Pamstegma no offense intended, however what does not having any information on the person reporting the problem have to do with anything? Perhaps you perform your duties differently than I do, the persons complaining in my experience are the clients themselves....

What are the specific concerns downerdebbie? What actual proof do you have of occurrences; do you have names, dates, and witnesses to occurrences? As an ombudsman I have access to a Legal Dept. should actual charges be supported.

downerdebbie, I am sorry you cannot pay your rent without money from mom, and I'm sorry you got her to change her Will when she has dementia and I'm really sorry it landed you in court. So let me give you some good advice. Visit mom when you can and take your meds before you go there. Try to stay calm, keep the visit short, no more than an hour. Smile and hold her hand. Beyond that, do not fuss over anything. You are down to very little time left. Make the best of it.

Moonflower, as Ombudsmen, we do not have any information on the person reporting the problem. We just look in on the patient and talk to him/her and be sure the patient is satisfied with services, comfortable, well fed and in a clean room. It's all about what they want and need.

Thanks, Moon flower for all your work to serve others.If I came to you with specific concerns and prior info FOR THE PATIENTS BEST POSSIBLE CARE, would this be investigated with as much concern as if reported by someone charged but not convicted of neglect? Thanks

I am an Ombudsman. My responsibility is to my elder client.

Daughter of 1930, agreed. My relative wants to die at home but thanks to a fabricated story, I have lost my pos and mpoa.shes in hell.not only is the NH denying her med she was taking upon admission and many months later they put her on benzodiazepines rather than the antibiotics she had with her on vacation.the docs told me no benzos for her.she is on an array of psych drugs.no one listens because they took my rights away.when I bring up the drugs they argue and end the visits.so????????thanks for your post.IF You MUST USE A NURSING HOME, presence of family and friends gets you better care,cheap or expensive,same principle works. Know medical information and they don't like it!

Christine73, thanks for your helpful,thoughtful advice/ response.There is no one else that has seen the neglect making it impossible to file with any nuance of anonymity.Hence my hesitance to contact an ombudsman.would the media be better? She's got a state appointed guardian who cuts my visitations when I bring up the issue,....shes neglecting her so I am angry because she's being denied these meds.in 2 wks she would be agony free.it tears me up

Hey guys. Your posts have been very valuable to me. I am taking care of my mother and all I have to do is call her doctor and he helps me. I'm not putting her in a nursing home. What I'm hearing is scary.

All I can say is that my family had a good ombudsman and that the care did improve - it kept them on their toes. I would hope that anyone who is supposed to be advocating for the patient would not be influenced by the nursing home. We had good experiences with social workers also ( the nursing home hated them!)

And I should proof better---NH not NR! Need more caffeine!

Debbie, I can't be sure that my experience here applies to your situation but here goes---my mother was in a NH for four years. Once during that time, ironically, not at the end of her life, it was recommended by the staff that we change to her hospice care. We quickly found it to be a disaster. The NH staff, who had always provided good care, would do nothing for my mother, always saying for whatever she needed "we have to wait for hospice to come" So she sat unbathed, uncleaned, uncared for until the hospice worker appeared, often many hours. The previously caring NH staff seemed relieved to have one less patient to deal with and the hospice workers just randomly appeared and were quickly gone. This went on for a few weeks and after we could find no advantage at all to it we put a stop to it and discontinued hospice. Mother went back to getting care from the NR staff and wasn't neglected any longer. We never did fully understand this weird division of labor between NR staff and hospice but it was certainly a disaster for us. I've always heard how well hospice works for others, so maybe it's just here. Maybe something for you to look into, or maybe doesn't apply at all.

I was an Ombudsman for 17 years. Ombudsman are Federally mandated Resident Advocates for residents in long term care facilities. Ombudsman are there to represent the resident and what the resident wants, not what the facility or family member wants.

It depends. Based on my experience, the ombudsman can be in cahoots with the terrible nursing home staff or they can be caring people who got into the job because they wanted to be able to protect and help the helpless. I do know that they are not allowed to speak to NH staff about your concerns without your permission. You should call your local ombudsman, tell them what's going on, and see what they would advise. You can do that confidentially. IF you have a good ombudsman who makes you feel confident that they can handle this properly, you can allow them to take action.

Pamstegma is correct; on hospice, no other health issue is addressed, just pain. But not treating open sores, even for pain relief, seems inhumane. What you should do is call the state and report the abuse. My state (NY) has a nursing home abuse hotline. Ask your ombudsman for the number to yours. The person from the state will come in, examine the patient, and ask questions. The person from the state can assess fees and penalties, up to and including forcing the nursing home to close (there are 4 or 5 levels of penalties for NHs that don't comply with the mandated standard of care). I think this is a good move.

Personally, I was terrified to "report" my mom's nursing home because they were such bullies. I was afraid of retribution. The people who I had seen make waves either had their loved ones kicked out or terribly neglected, in one case to death (R.I.P. Annette Giordano). However, my husband called the state behind my back, and the result was positive! A real improvement in her care.

Schoolyard lesson: a bully can be silenced by a bigger bully. The state is a bigger bully. Good luck, and I'm so sorry.

Thank you, Pamstegma.thanks for your help.bummer that in the 21st century they'd rather give a tranq that doesn't mix with the other meds according to her regular doc. than a topical cure! That must be difficult ..$eem$ she's already written off as dead by the nursing home.and that some,not all ombudsmen are a kindness gesture but ineffective unless we get a hospice team with compassion.

Pamategma,
The neglect went on for over 3 months.sounds like it gets brushed under the rug once the nursing home calls hospice.also sounds like she's stuck with the crappy care......is there any point in using an ombudsman other than having a 25 yr old teach a caregiver of many years explain what dementia is.An ice cold peppy nurse who discussed all other meds but dismissed her ailments.doesn't a care plan discuss sores etc? You seem a fine ombudsman but it sounds like most could care less, and doubt I can get any help w/o the paper or tv if ombudsman just go around letting people know they aren't good enough for humane treatment. Hope there's more dedication than what I've encountered.

Debbie, if the patient is on hospice, they are not going to a hospital or even a doctor's office for any kind of treatment. Pain relief only. All you can do is hold their hand, nothing more. No more treatments for anything. Time is short.

Pamstegma, Have attorney.unfortunately its time consuming to clear ones name.Im not looking for representation but rather for direction in getting the patient care. I fear that by needing to take concerns further due to a lack of treatment that advocating for them will cost visitations and never see them alive again. As the relative had a sole caregiver it seems sad if they were to disallow the only person the patient knows that can get there to visit due to advocating for them.can the ombudsman then say they should still receive visits? Was under the belief that there's no repraisal for reporting legit,verifiable care issues.

downerdebbie, as an Ombudsman I cannot address legal issues, you need a lawyer for that. And I cannot represent the family members, only the patient.
As far as a denied med, the nurse cannot discuss meds unless you have the HIPAA clearance. Your first concern is clearing your name. Get an attorney.

Ps Ironically. POA temporarily pulled due to , bogus neglect charges for which there is no proof....meanwhile the "neglected" loses visits with all they know,an d court continues on so that they continue to rake in big money from the resident.the resident now pays physically and financially to be neglected by those put in charge by the state or can the person get out and into a better setting before they pass?

Thanks, PamStegma.....what happens when the court appointed guardian,GAL and nursing home fail to deal with the neglect issues for months?..It annoyed the guardian to be asked about these issues during supervised visits, and the majority of visits are revoked w/o notice or varying reasons and the ones that occur are terminated within 10 min. .. All requests for medical care regarding the issues have gone ignored.....the hospice nurse seemed disinterested in seeing the current script for her denied med.Do the relatives now seek an on ombudsman since I would expect whoever bathes the resident would be expected to document sores (fhey are not pressure sores or skin tears)? No one but the family noticed, and said the sores weren't new.seems like hospice isn t too concerned either....they just got involved since the NHs poor care has affected quality of life.
Thank you!!

Great answer Pam! Often people think the purpose of ombudsmen an geriatric care managers are to be impartial. Impartial between squabbling family members, yes, but their job is only to advocate for the one that needs care. What is best for that person is the only concern.

I am an Ombudsman. I am not impartial, I am there to represent the patient. The response I have seen is that the facility gets a wake up call, the patient gets proper service, good PT and the family is relieved. I also make sure the POA has the state hotline 800 number and my cell number.
When I sign in at the front desk, I tell the receptionist who I am coming to see. She alerts the Director and things start to roll immediately.