Our Two Cents Is No Small Change

Florida's Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program was founded in 1975 as a result of the federal Older Americans Act, which grants a special set of residents' rights to individuals who live in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities and adult family care homes. The program seeks to ensure the health, safety, welfare and rights of these residents throughout Florida, and does so through the efforts of its empowered corps of trained and certified volunteers.

Advocating for Residents' Rights

Volunteer ombudsmen spend time in licensed long-term care facilities, identifying, investigating and resolving the concerns of residents and their loved ones, as well as performing annual assessments of each facility throughout Florida. We consistently empower residents to know their rights, and we often provide a voice for those who may not be able to speak up for themselves.

Responding to Residents' Concerns

In reporting year 2005-2006, we responded to more than 7,900 complaints made by, or on behalf of, long-term care residents in Florida. The most common issues in nursing homes were discharges and evictions; medication administration and unexplained injuries. The most common issues in assisted living facilities and adult family care homes were medication administration; menu quality, quantity and variation and staff shortages. We resolve residents' concerns to the best of our abilities and within the greatest extent of the law. All services are provided at no charge, and all complaints are confidential.

Contacting the Program

The program is reachable by phone, e-mail, mail, fax and in person. The toll-free number is (888) 831-0404 and the Web site is http://ombudsman.myflorida.com. The Web site provides a listing of all 17 local councils' contact information and illustrates which counties are served by each. We encourage all individuals who are interested in learning more about the program, requesting our services or applying to become an ombudsman to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.