Interview-Stakeholders

Outcome Evaluation and Special Studies Related to the Long-Term Care
Ombudsman Program (LTCOP)
Interview Protocol for Stakeholders
INTERVIEW INFORMATION
ORGANIZATION:
INTERVIEW DATE:
RESPONDENT:
TITLE:
INTERVIEWER(S):

Interview Topics
A. Strategic Relationships
B. Program Resources and Activities

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Introduction/Purpose of the Study
Thank you for agreeing to participate in this interview today.
My name is _________ and I’m a researcher from __________. I’m here today because the
Administration for Community Living/Administration on Aging (ACL/AoA) has contracted with NORC at the
University of Chicago (NORC) to conduct a national evaluation of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Program (LTCOP). The aim of the evaluation is to study the LTCOP’s partnerships and outcomes for
residents.
As part of this evaluation, we are conducting interviews with the program’s national stakeholders that will
cover topics including the LTCOP’s strategic partnerships, program resources and activities, and program
quality assurance activities. These interviews will provide important information on the implementation of
the LTCOP and enable ACL/AoA to better understand how the program’s outcomes at the state and local
levels. We will use what we learn from these interviews to provide ACL/AoA with practical and
policy‑relevant insight into LTCOP services and processes.

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Informed Consent Statement [Interviewer must read this.]
Before beginning the interview, I (we) want to thank you for agreeing to participate in this study and
emphasize that your participation is voluntary. You may refuse to respond to any question that you do not
wish to answer. The interview should take about 30 minutes and is not part of an audit or a compliance
review. We are interested in learning about your ideas, experiences, and opinions about the LTCOP’s
implementation and outcomes.
In addition, I want to let you know that although we will take notes during this interview, information is
never repeated with the name of the respondent in any reports or in any discussions with supervisors,
colleagues, or ACL/AoA. When we write the report and discuss our findings, information from all the
people we speak with is compiled and presented so that no individual can be identified.
To help me accurately report on the information you share, it would be helpful if I could tape record this
interview. I can also turn off the recorder at any point if you want me to. I do not have the recorder on
now; is it okay with you for me to turn it on?
Do you have any questions before we begin?
Do I have your permission to begin the interview?

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A. STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIPS
We’d like to begin by asking a few questions about you and your organization’s relationship to the LongTerm Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP).
1. What is your current title?
2. What are your primary job responsibilities in this position?
3. How long have you been in this position?
4. What is the mission of your organization? How would you describe its primary goals?
5. How did you learn about the Ombudsman Program?
a. How long have you been familiar with the LTCOP?
6. How would you describe the role of the Ombudsman program?
7. What are your organization’s responsibilities in relation to the Ombudsman program at the state and
local levels?
8. What is your role in relation to the LTCOP?/Do you interact with the Ombudsman Program?
a. What is the purpose of the interaction?
b. Who do you interact with from the Ombudsman program?
c. How frequently do you interact?
9. How would you describe your relationship with the Ombudsman?
a. Is it collaborative? Effective?
b. What are the benefits of the relationship?
10. Has the Ombudsman Program impacted the way that you do your work? Please explain.
11. Have you experienced any challenges with the Ombudsman program? If yes, please describe.
12. How can your relationship be enhanced to improve the effectiveness of their work or your work?
13. Are there areas where you would like more support from the Ombudsman program?
14. Are there other relationships the Ombudsman program needs in order to increase its effectiveness?

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B. PROGRAM RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES
Next, we’d like to discuss your perceptions of the effectiveness of the LTCOP as well as the program’s
resources, activities, strengths, and challenges.
1. Are long-term care residents and their families familiar with the Ombudsman program?
a. To what extent does the program’s visibility to consumers vary by facility setting (nursing
home vs. board and care, etc.)?
b. Are entities within the aging services network familiar with the Ombudsman program?
2. What do you perceive to be the major strengths of the Ombudsman program?
3. What are the most significant challenges currently facing the Ombudsman program (e.g., staff
turnover, provision of legal counsel, additional unfunded state mandates, service provision to board
and care homes, conflicts of interest with state agencies, program autonomy)?
4. What do you see are the most important advocacy issues for the Ombudsman program to address
right now?
5. What is your assessment of the quality of the Ombudsman program services?
a. How are you assessing the quality of the program? (Is your assessment based on the
program’s performance data (NORS), past Federal reports, anecdotal information,
presentations, conferences, etc.?)
6. How could the Ombudsman Program be improved to better serve residents?
7. How can programs better support volunteers who donate their time and services to the program?
8. Is there anything you would like to discuss about your experience with the Ombudsman Program?
9. Is there any topic or issue that you would like us to know about? Please describe the issue(s) and
explain why you think it is/they are important.

Thank You
Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.

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