Support, Guidance, Advocacy: Rethinking the Ombudsman Role

The people who work in state long-term care ombudsman's offices are unsung heroes for residents of nursing homes, assisted living communities, and other communal care settings, helping to amplify their voices when they aren't being heard. This week on "Elevate Eldercare," we dive into the present and future of the ombudsman role on both the macro and micro levels. First, former ombudsman Penny Cook – who recently departed from the Center for Innovation, where she served as chief culture officer – takes a global view of the position, probing the ways that states can expand the role to achieve the twin goals of better care and overall resident satisfaction. Then Kate Poppenhagen, the current long-term care ombudsman for Larimer County, Colorado and a fierce advocate for elders, sits down with Alex Spanko to talk about the day-to-day life of an LTC ombudsman – as well as the particular need to support LGBTQ elders at this particular moment in U.S. history. Learn more about the ombudsman role from our friends at the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care: https://ltcombudsman.org/about/about-ombudsman Explore cultural transformation services from The Green House Project and Pioneer Network: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/cultural-transformation/