S. 2490: Strengthening Advocacy for Long-Term Care Residents Act

The Strengthening Advocacy for Long-Term Care Residents Act aims to enhance the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, which advocates for residents in long-term care facilities. This bill makes several key amendments and provisions as follows:

Improving Volunteer Training

The bill proposes updates to the training of volunteers under the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. It emphasizes the following:

• The program should consider the different types of unpaid volunteer representatives and the specific training needs associated with their roles.
• Model training standards must be regularly reviewed and updated to make sure they align with the specific needs of these volunteers, ensuring that unnecessary training requirements are minimized.

Director of the Ombudsman Programs

Changes are proposed regarding the Director of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs. Specifically, the bill requires that this position be filled by someone serving on a full-time basis, thereby ensuring dedicated leadership for these advocacy efforts.

Study on Ombudsman Programs

The bill directs the Assistant Secretary for Aging to engage the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman programs. This study will focus on:

• Evaluating the effectiveness of these programs.
• Identifying challenges encountered by the programs.
• Providing recommendations for improvement.
• Assessing the current recommended staff-to-bed ratio for these programs.

A report with the findings of this study is required to be publicly issued within one year after the contract is established.

Overall Goals

The overarching aim of this legislation is to improve advocacy for residents in long-term care facilities by enhancing the training and effectiveness of volunteers and staff involved in the Ombudsman programs, ensuring better representation and support for older adults in care settings.

Relevant Companies

None found.