State & Federal

homepage > family services > services for older adults > northern virginia long-term care ombudsman:

Northern Virginia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Investigation and Complaint Log

(To view PDF files, Adobe Acrobat Reader must be installed on your computer. Download a FREE copy now.)

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program does not rate or recommend nursing facilities or assisted living facilities. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program provides information and counseling on long-term care related topics, including selection, Residents' Rights, and issues related to residents' quality of care and life.

When selecting a long-term care facility, it is best to visit the facilities being considered and ask questions of staff, residents and families. The resident should be included in the decision process, if possible. For more helpful tips, see Tips for Advocates.

Once a consumer has narrowed the choices, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program can provide general information regarding complaints which the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program has investigated at a specific facility during the previous year.

Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program complaint investigations are the result of concerns made by, or on behalf of, residents or from facility visits by the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program staff. Ombudsmen investigate to gather facts about a complaint in order to work to resolve the problem for a resident or group of residents.

The complaints on the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Complaint Log represent the complainant’s concerns. "Resolved" means that the complaint/problem was addressed to the satisfaction of the resident or complainant. "Not resolved" means that the complaint/problem was not addressed to the satisfaction of the resident or complainant. "Partially resolved" means that the complaint was partially resolved to the satisfaction of the resident or complainant, but some problem remained. The Complaint Log should be only one criterion of many to be considered while selecting a long-term care facility.

It is recommended that consumers who wish to use this information as part of their decision process call the Northern Virginia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program at 703-324-5861, TTY 711 to discuss the Northern Virginia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Complaint Log and any questions they may have about long-term care facilities.