Factors Associated With Perceived Effectiveness of Local Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs in New York and California

Abstract

Objectives: Long-term care (LTC) ombudsmen advocate for the health, safety, welfare, and rights of residents in LTC facilities. This article examines factors associated with self-rated effectiveness of local LTC Ombudsman Programs (LTCOPs) in California and New York across the five statutorily mandated activities under the Older Americans Act: complaint investigation, resident/family education, community education, monitoring laws, and policy advocacy. Method: Data were collected from telephone interviews with coordinators of local LTCOPs in California and New York and from the National Ombudsman Reporting System. Analyses examined factors associated with effectiveness: program size, resource adequacy, organizational autonomy, interorganizational relationships, and program outputs. Results: Resource and autonomy measures are significantly associated with different effectiveness measures in each state. Staff full-time equivalencies and coordinator hours per week in New York and the quality of training in California are significantly associated with effectiveness in most mandated activities. Discussion: Findings highlight variability within and between the local LTCOPs in California and New York.