Outcome Evaluation of the Long-Term Care OMBudsman Program (LTCOP)

The primary goals of ACL’s/AoA’s Outcome Evaluation and Special Studies Related to the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) are to (1) understand the extent to which LTCOP services have been carried out effectively at the state and local levels and (2) document outcomes of LTCOP activities at the individual (residents) and systems (long-term care practices, programs, and policies) levels. To achieve these goals, data collection will be required from long-term care residents/family members, facility staff, facility administrators, coordinating entities, and LTCOP staff. By obtaining data through a mix of focus groups, surveys, and interviews, these key respondent groups will provide the necessary information to better understand and document the program’s processes and outcomes. The purpose of the outcome evaluation is to understand and document the LTCOP’s effectiveness at the state and local levels and outcomes at the individual and systems levels. Throughout the evaluation, an additional aim is to obtain stakeholder buy-in, feedback on, and participation in the study. ACL/AoA anticipates that this study will: provide practical and policy-relevant insight into LTCOP services and processes; highlight promising program practices; and ultimately, provide critical information to enable ACL/AoA to better protect greater numbers of vulnerable elders. Data collection for the outcome evaluation will involve site visits to four State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs (SLTCOPs). During these visits, focus groups will be conducted with residents, family members, and facility staff. In addition, interviews will be conducted with stakeholders/representatives of entities with which the Ombudsman program coordinates. For each participating state, a survey will be administered in nursing home and board and care home facility administrators. The goal of focus groups with residents, family members, and facility staff is to assess their understanding of the Ombudsman program’s role, their interactions with Ombudsmen, program strengths and challenges, and areas for further support. Interviews with representative of entities with which Ombudsmen coordinate focus on understanding their relationship with the program, the extent of coordination, benefits and challenges of coordination, programs strengths, and areas for improvement. In each participating state, a survey will be administered to a random sample of facility administrators. Topics covered will include Ombudsman activities with facility staff and residents, impact on facility practices, and facility characteristics.

The latest form for Outcome Evaluation of the Long-Term Care OMBudsman Program (LTCOP) expires 2023-09-30 and can be found here.

Focus Group-Facility Administrators and Staff

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Health - Health Care Services

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