Conflict resolution services available at no cost.
Since 1972, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman service has assisted residents in homes for the aged and prospective residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and residential homes for the aged*. We provide an impartial third party—not an employee of the nursing home or the state agency responsible for inspecting the facility—whose primary purpose is the resolution of problems. Click here to learn more about residents’ rights.
Pursuant to the Mid-Cumberland Human Resource Agency’s policy of non-discrimination, the Ombudsman service does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, sex, religion, color, disability, or national origin. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman service is authorized by the Federal Older Americans Act and administered at the state level by the Tennessee Commission on Disability and Aging through the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. All matters are kept confidential.
Long Term Care Ombudsmen in the Middle TN area, serve a thirteen county area. There is an assigned Ombudsman for each county and facility.
Why We Do It
Consider these Middle Tennessee Elder Care facts:
Number of long-term care facilities: 160
Number of residents in homes for the aged: 12,000
Percentage of residents in homes for the aged with no family or friends to advocate: 50%
Number of hours of care required by the state, per resident in homes for the aged within a 24-hour period: 2
Average number of hours of care actually needed per resident in homes for the aged within the same specified period: 4.1
Most frequent complaint made by residents in homes for the aged and their loved ones: lack of sufficient staff
Counties Served by the 5th District Long-Term Care Ombudsman Service
Cheatham
Davidson
Dickson
Houston
Humphreys
Montgomery
Robertson
Rutherford
Sumner
Stewart
Trousdale
Williamson
Wilson
Volunteer Opportunities
Interested in volunteering? Long-Term Care Volunteer Ombudsman Representative might assist in any of the following scenarios:
Work to resolve problems or complaints affecting long-term care residents in homes for the aged through investigation, mediation, and counseling.
Identify problem areas in long-term care and advocates for change.
Provide information about long-term care and related services.
Promote resident, family, and community involvement in long-term care.
Educate the community about the needs of long-term care residents.
Coordinate efforts with other agencies concerned with long-term care.
Visit long-term care facilities routinely through the volunteer program to talk to residents in homes for the aged and monitor conditions.
Educate facility staff about residents in homes for the aged, rights, and other issues.
““I am a quadriplegic resident of a nursing home. They kept skipping me for the evening meal because I would fall asleep before meals were served. When I would wake up and ask for food they would tell me the kitchen was closed now and I would have to wait until breakfast. This happened more than once. I asked my mom to call the ombudsman and he came out to see me at the nursing home. He helped me see that my rights were being violated and that I had a right to food even if it was after meal time. He was able to work with the staff to have my tray left for me if I was asleep. Now, when I wake up and have missed supper, my tray is waiting for me. They heat it for me and a staff person feeds me since I cannot feed myself due to my paralysis. Because of this program I have not had to go hungry until breakfast a single time.””
Funding Partners
There is no charge for the Ombudsman services; contributions to the service, however, are accepted and used to provide additional services. The United Way provides additional funding.