Ohio Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman

09/07/2026

Our offices are closed on Monday, September 7th in honor of Labor Day. Thinking of and appreciating all those who work to provide long-term care services and supports to the nearly 200,000 Ohioans living in nursing homes, assisted living, adult group homes, or receiving in-home long-term care.

09/03/2026

Are you new to Next Generation MyCare in Ohio? Are you enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare? If you have concerns about Next Generation MyCare services, care, billing, or appeal process, your local ombudsman can help. Find your local ombudsman in the link in the comments.

09/02/2026

Use Existing Authority

There are a number of regulations that apply to long-term care providers that are not necessarily actively enforced. National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care recently submitted comments to CMS on the Medicare provider enrollment provisions addressed in section V.C. of the proposed rule, 91 Fed. Reg. at 41283–41300.

We urge CMS to:
● Use its existing authority under §424.535(a)(8)(ii) — including current factor (D), which already allows CMS to weigh any other information relevant to a provider's
circumstances — to revoke the enrollment of nursing home chains with a documented pattern of billing for care their staffing levels could not support.
● Use its existing authority under §424.530(a)(6) and §424.530(a)(7), together with §424.502's existing definition of “owner” (which already reaches indirect ownership interests of 5 percent or more, including ownership held through layered trusts and LLCs), to trace an applicant's ownership history across states and facilities before approving enrollment — consistent with the approach New Jersey's Office of the State Comptroller has taken with Medicaid.
● Rigorously apply existing §424.535(a)(18) (revocation for operating under a different name or identity).
● Use its existing authority under §424.535(i) to automatically review every other
enrollment held by an owner, and take appropriate action against other substandard facilities, whenever any single enrollment tied to that owner is properly revoked.
● Use its existing authority under §424.530(f) to bar reapplication for up to 10 years whenever a denial under §424.530(a)(4) involves false or misleading information about who truly owns or controls an applicant.
● Enforce the related-party cost regulations at 42 C.F.R. §§413.17(c)(2), 413.17(d)(1)(iv).
● Recognize that chronic cost report non-filing or materially false related-party cost reporting already (1) triggers termination under 42 C.F.R. §489.53(a)(4) and, through existing §424.535(g)(2)(vii), a corresponding Part 424 revocation, and (2) independently falls within existing §424.535(a)(1) and §424.535(a)(5)(ii) as noncompliance with Medicare enrollment requirements.

09/01/2026

If you have moved into a nursing home, assisted living, or adult group home, is your voter registration up-to-date? Now is the time to check with your local board of elections or VoteOhio.gov. Your local ombudsman will be carrying flyers similar to this to help remind residents of key dates in the voting process. Find your local ombudsman in the link in the comments.

08/28/2026

When someone moves to a nursing home or assisted living, they retain their civil right to vote. The vast majority of nursing home residents vote by absentee ballot, ie., vote by mail. This change is important for facilities and residents to understand. As the article says, "That means a tax return dropped in a big blue mailbox on April 15 or a vote-by-mail ballot sent on Election Day could still be marked late because USPS now postmarks mail when it is processed rather than when it is dropped off."

USPS now dates mail when it’s processed, not when it’s dropped off. Learn how the change could affect important mail deadlines.

08/25/2026

This is a career that makes a difference for individuals living in long-term care settings. This work matters.

🚨WE'RE HIRING!!🚨
We have an opening in our Region 6 Ombudsman program, located at our Hilliard Office.

Learn more and apply online at tinyurl.com/es-online-app

Join a welcoming team that's making a difference in people's lives!
....

08/20/2026

If you or a loved one lives in a nursing home, assisted living, or adult group home, reach out to your local ombudsman with concerns or questions. Find your local ombudsman in the link in the comments.

“That’s just how it is in a nursing home.”

Actually, some things should never be dismissed as simply part of living in long-term care.

Being afraid to speak up about your care.

Repeatedly asking for help and feeling ignored.

Having decisions made for you without being included.

Being spoken to in a disrespectful or demeaning way.

Losing your privacy simply because you need assistance with care.

Feeling like you have to accept poor treatment because you don’t want to be seen as “difficult.”

Moving into a long-term care facility does not mean giving up your voice, your choices, or your dignity.

Residents have rights. They deserve to be heard. And when something doesn’t feel right, it’s okay to speak up and ask for help.

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program advocates for residents and works to help resolve concerns based on what the resident wants.

📞 Region 8 Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
888-502-6601

Your home may change. Your rights don’t.

08/18/2026

Many long-term care residents report meals that lack freshness, nutrition, and flavor. Consumer Voice’s new issue brief highlights facilities that get it right and shows how residents and families can advocate for better food.

Learn why meals matter:https://theconsumervoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Food-Pull-Out.pdf

08/13/2026

Join our own Erin Pettegrew as she, along with a panel of data analytics experts, explains the Resident Satisfaction Survey methodology and how the results are used to help improve the resident experience in nursing homes and assisted living. If you are an administrator or clinical leader of a nursing home, register today for The Quality Report: CY2026 Q3 Ohio's Long-Term Care Landscape. https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8186391191929238102

08/12/2026

August marks National Make-A-Will Month, a nationwide movement designed to empower everyone to take control of their future. We often put off thinking about a will, advance directives, or the possibility of needing long term care, yet these are critical decision that need forethought and planning. Set an appointment to speak with an ombudsman about long term care. What's the difference in level of care between a nursing home or assisted living? What questions should I ask when considering a facility? How do I pay for long-term care? Your local ombudsman can provide guidance through the journey of long term care. Click on the link in the comments to find your local ombudsman