Long Term Care Ombudsman Case Study

At Adult Protective Services majority of our work involves investigation of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. At Adult Protective Services our job is to protect the vulnerable elderly population, as well as the population that have disabilities. “Only APS is statutorily authorized and responsible for investigating elder and vulnerable adult abuse and taking steps to protect the victims, and it is generally only APS that helps the most frail and incapacitated older persons”(Quin, 2012, p.68). When abuse is suspected, a case worker will reach out to all parties involved, such as the alleged victim, alleged perpetrator, and all collaterals. Unlike many other professions, case worker are not required to have any written consent to speak with

All individuals have the entitlement to living their lives exempt from aggression or any type of abuse. Circumstances of abuse at senior individuals frequently appear publicly although several occurrences of abuse could likewise go unannounced. Safeguarding older people is ever more recognized as a serious matter for society, with ongoing exposure of abusive and unjust systems and practices that defy social care practices and those who labor with adult deemed as at risk (previously referred to as vulnerable) (Scragg & Mantell, 2011). The above change resulted, as the terminology 'vulnerable adult ' was perceived as negatively meaning that the abused adult is partially responsible of the abuse occurring to him/her (Mandelstam, 2011).

Long-term care facilities have become home to some individuals due to loss of capacity for independent living which normally caused by some illness that result in them not being able to care for themselves or to perform any daily living activities, such as cooking, eating, bathing, and toileting. Now as an administrator of a long-term care facility, I am responsible to make sure that everything runs smooth; in another word I play most important role in the facility. I am in charge of everything that goes on including patient admissions, facility policies, laws, finances, facility maintenance, residential care and staffing. A number of ethical issues can and will arise in a long-term care facility, such as providing patient care, dealing with

Having knowledge of social policies is essential to address elder abuse because it is crucial to have valued information to provide to the service user or how to report any type of abuse or neglect with seniors. In Canada, elder abuse legislation is a responsibility of federal, provincial and municipal (Podnieks, 2008). Likewise, the federal Criminal Code (1985) defines the standards for criminal justice through the country. Hence, this code has strengths and limitation regarding elder abuse.

The California Supreme Court has clarified the application of the Long-Term Care Act’s disclosure requirements in consideration of Welfare and Institutions Code section 5328’s general prohibition against the release of information contained in the course of providing treatment to mentally ill and developmentally disabled individuals.

In 1991, the United States government initiated the Nursing Home Reform Act, also known as the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1987 that outlined “a set of national minimum set of standards of care and rights for people living in certified nursing facilities” (ncmust.com). OBRA requires all nursing home residents have a complete health evaluation upon admission to a long-term care facility, and to be re-evaluated quarterly or after any major changes in health or functional status.

Throughout the semester, I have learned so much about the different aspects of a long-term health care facility. From textbook readings, class lectures, case studies, to group projects, my knowledge and understanding of what it takes to run a long-term health care facility has grown immensely. With the percentage of the population above the age of 60 about to increase rapidly, long-term facilities will become more prevalent and important. The five main aspects I would focus on as an administrator in a long-term care facility are following regulations, making correct care plans for patients, ensuring there is enough qualified staff at all times, providing stimulating activities, and ensure a comfortable and home-like atmosphere for the residents.

The number of senior citizens is growing. That means more families are grappling with elder law issues, including adult guardianship. An elder law attorney at the Law Offices of Clifford M. Cohen, in Washington, DC, discusses guardianship and incapacitated adults, whom the law calls “wards.”

As a community we want to ensure that our elderly and vulnerable adults are protected. In Buncombe County, 17.5 percent of residents are over the age of 65 and 12 percent of the population 18 and over have one or more types of disabilities, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Our neighbors, relatives, and friends all deserve to be cared for appropriately and we are a key part to ensuring that they are safe.

The proposed program will address the needs of minorities 65 and older at the time the program is implemented. Those taking part in the program would not loose any of the health benefits they are receiving from Medicaid under the current SSI health benefits insurance program. As well the person or persons must prove that they cannot afford to reside in a traditional long term care facility, such as a nursing home or assisted living, without incurring out of pocket cost. To be eligible, the individuals must be African American, U.S. citizen, reside in the state of Mississippi, and have a median $650 SSI income. As well they are not required to liquidate there asset’s and must reapply every year to reevaluate their eligibility. The goal of the proposed program is to make amendments to the current Medicare part C health insurance program, which under the current design addresses long- term care for a limited amount of time, such as for rehabilitation purposes and can not

Wilks (2012, p.1), refers to advocacy as being a challenging subject, one of which is highly susceptible to change and an area of disagreement as to what should belong in the field. Furthermore, advocacy is such a multifaceted concept, it is difficult to define in any singular context. However, according to Henderson and Pochin (2001, p.1), advocacy can be broadly described “as the process of identifying with and representing a person’s views and concerns, in order to secure enhanced rights and entitlements”. Furthermore, Adams (2007 p.372), identifies advocacy as a form of empowerment which promotes and supports social inclusion by representing the voices and the interests of marginalised or vulnerable parties. According to Teasdale

The author, Woods, aimed to prove that the court system should be looking more carefully when deeming a guardian appropriate to care for a vulnerable elder. “Guardians must act under the strictest standards of care and accountability-and the court has responsibility for oversight” (Woods, 2012).The goal of thoroughly examining the guardian is to reduce the likelihood that abuse will occur later on. A “Five-Plus-Five” formula was developed to help guardians protect the rights of the vulnerable elderly who need cared for. There are five questions that should be asked prior to appointing a guardian and after the guardianship is implemented. There are also five systematic solutions to protect the guardian and vulnerable

Since ombudsman program is federal, it is mandated by law that every state has this program (Netting, Huber, Paton, & Kautz, 1995). This program is for all older adults living in long-term care facilities in the United States. Through OBRA and NHRA, it guaranteed ombudsman access to resident’s medical records.

Human service agencies most time are under security because of the services we provide. The focus on efficiency, loyalty dependency and interaction with the consumer are characteristic that I believe have the most impact on the current company I work for. My current agency would be categorized as prevention which our book indicates is an efforts to prevent the problem from continuing to occur (Weinbach & Taylor, 2015). Although we would would like to have characteristics of being loyal and dependable our job is to help people get better and be less dependent upon us. As a case manager I work closely with clients on a daily basis and I see clients who become very dependent upon our services which I believe causes more harm. Consequently the clients I service utilize services

I think in times of disaster healthcare professionals should be united and help others, especially in times like this. I think they should be trained in how to handle devastated situations and how to provide more care to the patients. It is a tough position for those who work in healthcare field because they have to be there all the time and most of the time they are forced to do it. They need to a have multiple strategies for disasters or chaotic situation and also have people charge in this plan, have a list of who would to participate, and have them rotate, have extra volunteers.