The mission of the Ombudsman program is to advocate for persons receiving long-term care services to ensure the highest quality of life and care. The selection of nursing facility care for a family member or friend is often a difficult task. Unfortunately, when faced with the need to choose a nursing facility, many people are often forced to make quick decisions in a crisis atmosphere. Nursing facilities are primarily designed to meet the needs of persons convalescing from illness or to provide long-term nursing supervision for persons with chronic medical problems.
Many nursing facilities offer subacute, respite, and other short-term needs.
A person in a nursing facility must be under the care of a physician. If the person's personal physician will not continue to provide care in the nursing facility, a new physician must be chosen. Nursing facilities generally maintain a list of physicians who have patients in their facilities. State departments of health regulate nursing facilities and establish acceptable practices for care and services. State inspectors visit nursing facilities at least once a year to determine their compliance with state standards and their qualifications to receive Medicare and Medicaid programs.