Medicare Guide for Living in a Nursing Home
Information on how nursing homes must meet your needs and applying for/using Medicare and Medicaid benefits
Compare to Care Nursing Home Comparison Tool
Find and compare Medicare-certified nursing homes based on a location, and compare the quality of care they provide and their staffing
Guide to Navigating Nursing Home Issues
Addresses many important topics, including admission agreements, care planning, transfer/discharge, and problem resolution
If you have concerns about the health, safety or welfare of a loved one in a long term care facility, our Long Term Care Ombudsman program can assist you with areas such as residents’ rights, care provided and transfers and discharges. We can also answer your questions on how to choose an assisted living or nursing facility.
Ombudsmen are advocates for residents of long-term care facilities – nursing homes and assisted living facilities. They work to protect the health, safety, welfare and rights of the residents by:
- Investigating and resolving complaints
- Visiting each facility to evaluate conditions
- Ensure that residents are receiving the legal, financial, social, rehabilitative and other services to which they are entitled
- Acting as mediator between residents, family members and facility staff
- Educating residents, families and facility staff about residents’ rights
- Providing information to the public
- Assisting with the establishment of resident and family councils
Anyone can contact the Ombudsman, including residents or employees of long-term facilities, or their friends or families. Everything is kept confidential unless the complaint or the resident gives us permission. Complaints may be about the facility, its employees, providers, public or private agencies, guardians, or anyone who is in a position to threaten or interfere with the rights, health, safety or welfare of a resident. For more information or to volunteer, please contact us: