NYS Long Term Care Ombudsman

The Ombudsman Program serves individuals living in long-term care facilities; skilled nursing homes, assisted living, and adult homes, promoting resident dignity across Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, and Otsego counties. Volunteers mediate, advocate, and protect resident rights such as privacy, confidentiality, visitation, and independent decision-making to ensure the highest standard of care.

Ombudsman Mission Statement

The mission of the Office of the Long Term Care Ombudsman is to protect the health, safety, welfare, human and civil rights of people living in nursing homes and adult care facilities.

Certified Ombudsmen are a vital link between residents and long term care facility staff,  and are able to investigate and resolve their concerns. Ombudsmen are committed to advocating for LTC residents and ensuring that their rights, unmet needs and complaints are handled and resolved effectively, while maintaining resident confidentiality. In this way, Ombudsmen protect and help improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable of New York's senior population.

The mission is accomplished by certified Ombudsmen at county levels who investigate and resolve complaints made by and on behalf of residents. Ombudsmen represent residents and work on their behalf with facility administrators, staff, and family members to achieve resolution of their complaints. Ombudsmen take a proactive role in promoting resident-protective laws, regulations and policies on long term care issues at the state and federal levels of government.