Author: Andrea Miller
Reviewed By: Catherine Braxton

Contact the state health department with concerns about assisted living facilities. Residents and family members should reach out to the state long-term care ombudsman program for assistance. Trained ombudsmen investigate and resolve problems in long-term care facilities. 

What happens after you report a concern about an assisted living facility?

If you report an assisted living concern as a resident’s family member, an ombudsman visits the resident to see if they share your concern. The resident decides if they’d like to pursue the complaint. If they want to move forward, the ombudsman looks into the problem and shares their findings with your loved one during the process.

The ombudsman works with the assisted living community to advocate for change and address serious issues. However, they don’t provide direct patient care, perform inspections of assisted living communities or represent a regulatory agency. Each state health department has procedures in place for investigating concerns. In general, a professional agent follows up on the case to gather more information and takes necessary actions.

What are some common concerns with assisted living facilities?

Inadequate discharge planning, including improper discharge, is the most commonly reported concern with assisted living facilities. In addition, ombudsmen frequently handle complaints about medication organization and administration, food quality, negative staff attitudes and facilities in disrepair. They can also address issues involving lack of resident dignity and respect, unreasonable confinement, resident abuse, inappropriate use of restraints and any other quality of life issue.