Nursing Facilities
Take Action
A resident, friend, or family member who finds a facility’s care lacking, negligent, or abusive should take action to right the wrong. There are a number of possible solutions.
Contact the Facility Administrator
Before turning to outside sources for help, try to resolve minor complaints within the nursing facility. It should have written policies that explain how to file a complaint or grievance. Put complaints in writing to the facility administrator and ask for a written response — giving him or her a fair chance to address the concerns.
Contact an Ombudsman
The California Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program assigns to every nursing facility an ombudsman — a trained advocate not associated with the ownership or management of the facility — who will investigate problems and resolve complaints made by, or on behalf of, the residents.
Residents or their family members can file a complaint directly with the local Ombudsman’s office or call the statewide crisis line at 800-231-4024, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Ombudsman services are free and confidential and may include:
- Dealing with concerns about quality of care;
- Answering questions about elder abuse;
- Investigating suspected physical, mental, or emotional abuse of residents; and
- Attending a resident care plan meeting or a resident or family council meeting on request.
In addition, ombudsman are legally required to witness Advance Health Care Directives being finalized for nursing home residents.
To find out more, contact the California Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.
Contact an Advocacy Organization
A number of local organizations can offer you an expert and impartial assessment of whether your particular complaint needs action, along with specific guidance on how to get it.
Contact the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR), a statewide nonprofit consumer advocacy group, or call its hotline at 800-474-1116.
You can also consult the Senior Legal Hotline at 800-222-1753.
Contact the State Regulatory Agencies
For persistent problems with poor quality of care, violations of residents' rights, staffing inadequacies, and other serious problems, contact the state agency that regulates nursing facilities, the California Department of Public Health, Licensing and Certification or call 916-552-8700 or 800-236-9747. It will investigate, possibly issue citations and fines, and make a report of the investigation.
If you suspect someone in the facility has committed elder abuse, report it to the local office of the California Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, call the Office of the Attorney General, Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse at 800-722-0432, and/or consult an attorney experienced in elder abuse for help.
