Facilitating Transition From Hospital Stay to Nursing Home Admission: A Hospital-Based Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

摘要

The Older Americans Act requires all states to establish Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs in nursing homes as well as in personal care homes. However, the law does not specify that hospitals that have special beds to provide skilled nursing care need to have long-term care ombudsmen. Many of these hospital patients subsequently enter a nursing or personal care home. Therefore, it seems that there is a need for patient advocacy for transition from hospital stays to long-term care facility admission. The Hospital-Based Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is described, and specific actions social workers can take to facilitate the establishment of the program in a hospital-based, long-term care unit are described.