Kansas Long-Term Care Ombudsman

07/09/2024

Please join us in welcoming Haely Ordoyne as our new State Long-term Care Ombudsman!
https://www.ombudsman.ks.gov/Home/Components/News/News/22/17

06/12/2024

The Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman invites you to join Tanya M. Richmond, MSW, LCSW, Partner at Support Development Associates, Certified Death Doula, and past chair of The Learning Community for Person Centered Practices for a 1.0-hour training.

Person-centered autonomy is a concept that emphasizes the importance of respecting an individual’s autonomy and individuality. It recognizes that people have the right to make decisions about their own lives, services, and treatment. Learn to use person centered skills to prioritize autonomy, self-exploration, and empowerment. The person-centered approach entails a consciousness and mindfulness, in relationships, to not violate the qualities of the person and to protect and support them.

We are offering two sessions of the same training, use the link below to register for the date that works best for you!

June 20, 2024, 10:00 - 11:00 CDT
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUocu6vpz0sHNGdgkKn9clEIjIshtHc-jR

Jun 27, 2024, 2:00 -3:00 PM CDT
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtcumqqTIvHNebIpLvPCVYDRlEPuKTEUbm

Upcoming Training

06/11/2024

We invite you to visit our updated website. We hope you will find it easier to navigate and obtain information most important to you. A frequently visited area is "Find Your Ombudsman". If you have specific questions or concerns you can click on the county where the adult care home is located. You will see a photo of your ombudsman and complete contact information to reach them directly.
Visit here: https://www.ombudsman.ks.gov/

06/10/2024

" All people have the right to live their lives with dignity and respect, free from abuse of any kind.
Aging adults deserve to be seen, heard, acknowledged, and recognized for who they are and
their own life path. Personal and community safety – whether it be physical, emotional,
psychological, or financial – is a hallmark of civil society and fosters integrity across the life
span."

06/07/2024

Well deserved! Thank you Kathy!

Join us in congratulating Kathy Greenlee (pictured here with Consumer Voice Executive Director Lori Smetanka) as this year's recipient of The John A. Hartford Foundation Trustees Award for her decades of government service and advocacy on behalf of older adults and people with disabilities, especially those who need long-term services and supports, are at risk of elder abuse, are LGBTQ+ and who live in rural America.
This award is given every two years to an individual or group that has made outstanding contributions to improving care for older adults through demonstrated excellence in clinical practice, education, research or policy.

https://www.johnahartford.org/newsroom/view/kathy-j-greenlee-receives-the-john-a-hartford-foundation-trustees-award-for-2024

06/06/2024

Sufficient Staffing is Essential to Quality of Life in a nursing home. Without requiring sufficient staffing it is no more than warehousing people… for someone to profit.

A quote shared from the Kansas Long-Term Care Ombudsman 2023 Annual Report.

Insufficient staffing is a root cause of many concerns, including abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Residents are told to soil themselves in bed and lay for hours, waiting for care and relief. This lack of adequate care can also contribute to physical and emotional deterioration, highlighting the urgent need for improved staffing levels and compassionate, person-centered care practices.

06/04/2024

Those who believe nursing homes without sufficient staffing provide individuals and family real choice about real care… should consider LIVING in one for a week to see what really it’s like. Real champions inspire decisions that provide for true care! Thank you to those businesses who provide sufficient staff to deliver the service and care they promise.

Federal lawmakers continue to look for ways to reverse a rule that demands nursing homes hire more than 102,000 new staff members.

05/30/2024

Without sufficient staffing it’s a false promise of care and service. Thank you to business owners and operators who are responsible and accountable to fulfilling this essential requirement. It’s not a nursing home without sufficient nursing staff.

A CBS News investigation found concerns over care emerged after a for-profit chain took over some California nursing homes.

05/24/2024

How much staffing does your long-term care facility have? Go to https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/ and follow these simple steps to find out.

05/24/2024

The House of Representatives has taken recent actions that threaten to undermine historic progress toward boosting nursing home staffing, safety, and quality across the country. A recently filed Congressional Review Act (CRA) is intended to overturn the Biden Administration’s new nursing home mini...

05/16/2024

Thank you to those who recognize true access to care requires adequate staffing. Thank you to those who do “care” and champion adequate staffing in nursing homes.