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Family Member: Getting Help

This page contains resources and information to help you advocate for quality long-term care for your loved one. Click on the topic areas below to find more information.

• Local and State Long-Term Care Ombudsmen
• Other State Resources
• Family Councils
• Citizen Advocacy Groups

Local and State Long-Term Care Ombudsmen

Find contact information for the long-term care ombudsman program in your state. In addition to acting as an advocate for residents, ombudsmen can educate residents, families, and friends about resident rights, state surveys, and federal and state laws that are applicable to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

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Other State Resources

Ask Medicare Releases a New Video and Resource Guide for Caregivers
Ask Medicare is the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services's website for caregivers and features a new video and resource guide. The video tells one family's story, and highlights programs and resources that may benefit and enhance a caregiver's well-being. In addition, the video and resource guide provide links to services available for caregivers and care recipients through the HHS Administration on Aging, HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and other state and local programs.

The long-term care system is complex and difficult to understand. In addition to ombudsmen, there are many different agencies responsible for helping to ensure good care for nursing home residents.

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Family Councils

Family members in a facility can join together to form a united consumer voice which can communicate concerns to facility administrators and work for resolutions and improvements by forming a family council. Visit the Family Council Center to learn more about family council rights, regulations applying to long-term care facilities, effective council advocacy, and tools for forming an effective council, and more!

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Citizen Advocacy Groups

Citizen advocacy groups (CAGs) are groups of concerned citizens who work to improve the quality of care for nursing home residents in their locality, state, or region, and may be able to inform you about resources in your state, the quality of care in particular facilities, and the current status of nursing home reform in your state. Members of these groups are often people who have had loved ones in nursing homes and are concerned about nursing home residents. Visit the Citizen Advocacy Group Center to learn more about CAGs and find a CAG in your state.

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Looking for information for residents? Visit the Resident Section of our website.