HISTORY OF OMBUDSMAN SERVICES
• 1971 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services established investigative units to respond to complaints made by or on behalf of individual nursing home residents creating the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program.
• 1976 The State of Ohio established the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (SLTCO) as a part of the Ohio Commission on Aging. Passage of the Nursing Home Resident Bill of Rights.
• 1976 Ohio Commission on Aging supported Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry’s (LMM) local Nursing Home Ombudsman’s (NHO) program idea, acknowledging nursing home advocacy as a “difficult but rewarding program.”
• 1977 NHO was established in 1977 as a nursing home ombudsman program of LMM. Articles of Incorporation for the new organization were signed.
• 1978 The amended Older Americans Act mandated the services of ombudsman programs in every state. Services required include handling complaints regarding nursing homes, providing information, advocating for improvement of the quality of care provided in the facilities, and training and coordinating volunteer ombudsmen. The Cleveland NHO is designated as the agency to advocate for persons living in nursing homes in Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Lorain and Medina counties.
• 1978 The name of the organization is changed from NHO to Long Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO).
• 1981 The Older Americans Act expanded the services of Ombudsman programs to include residents of board and care homes (now called adult and residential care facilities.)
• 1989 The Ohio General Assembly passed the Ombudsman Enabling Law strengthening the Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman authority to carry out the duties prescribed by the Older Americans Act.
• 1990 Ohio State law extended Ombudsman services to consumers who receive assistance from community-based long term care agencies. Legislation was passed that included a stream of funding (a "bed tax" on institutional beds) to support the ombudsman programs.
• 2005 Dedication of the Ernestine J. Holman Volunteer Center at LTCO.
• 2008 LTCO separated from Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries to become a fully independent organization.
Long Term Care Ombudsman
2800 Euclid Avenue, Suite 200, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
800-365-3112 • 216-696-2719 http://www.ltco.org/
Serving Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain & Medina Counties in northeast Ohio
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