001-40205-4900-1200 & 644-40205-4900-1200

Long Term care ombudsman are advocates for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes and assisted living facilities. Ombudsmen provide information about how to find a facility and what to do to get quality care. Under the federal Older Americans Act, every state is required to have an Ombudsman Program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long term care system.

N/A

20 ILCS 105/Illinois Act on the Aging

20 ILCS 105/4.04

Meet or exceed the FY16 Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Benchmarks The Illinois Long-term Care Ombudsman Program benchmarks are a minimum requirement of activities to be performed by the Regional Ombudsman Programs. The Illinois benchmarks were set after completion of a limited comparison of state LTCOP benchmark measures by the National Ombudsman Resource Center on behalf of the Illinois LTCOP. The Office used the recommendations for future continuous quality improvements from the July 2013 benchmark report findings as the basis for creating the current benchmarks for the Illinois LTCOP. The following benchmarks are the minimum requirements for each Regional Ombudsman Program: Closed Cases - 43 Closed Cases for every 1000 beds. Consultations to Individuals - 135 Consultations to Individuals for every 1000 beds. Facility Staff In-Services - 1 in-service for every 20 long-term care facilities. - Long-term care facilities include: NFs, ALFs, SLFs, Shelter Care, ICF-DD - Follow federal guidelines for entering into the database: - multi-facility staff in-services count as 1 in-service - in-services held at the same facility within the same day in order to catch various shifts count as 1 in-service. Community Education Sessions - 12 Community Ed Sessions plus 1 additional session for each benchmark required FTE. - this includes 4 MFP Community Ed sessions + 4 HCO Community Ed sessions - i.e. If a program is to have an FTE = 5, the program would be expected to do 17 Community Ed sessions within the year. Resident Council Meetings - attend at least 1 RC Meeting at a minimum of 85% of the nursing facilities within the program area. - based solely on the number of nursing facilities (not AL, SLF, Shelter Care, ICF-DD) - a program with 100 NFs would need to attend a minimum of 85 resident council meetings FTE Paid Staff - maintain the highest FTE level within the past 3 years.

Yes

1. The Area Agency on Aging agrees to administer the LTC Ombudsman Program and Area Plan in accordance with the Older Americans Act, the Area Plan and all applicable regulations, policies and procedures established by the Administration for Community Living and the Illinois Department on Aging. 2. The Area Agency on Aging must submit to the State Agency, for prior approval, any proposed contracts with profit making organizations to provide services under the Area Plan. 3. An Area Agency on Aging must be either an agency whose single purpose is to administer programs for older persons, or a separate organizational unit within a multipurpose agency which functions only for purposes of serving as the Area Agency. 4. The Area Agency on Aging will have the ability to develop an area plan and to carry out, directly or through contractual or other arrangements, a program in accordance with the plan within the planning and service area. 5. The Area Agency on Aging will expend an adequate proportion of the amount allotted for Part B to the planning and service area, in accordance with the policies developed by IDoA, for the delivery of each of the following categories of services – access, in-home, and legal: unless the Area Agency on Aging requests a waiver of this requirement in accordance with guidelines developed by IDoA and receives said waiver from IDoA. The Area Agency on Aging will report annually to the State Agency in detail the amount of funds expended for each such service category. 6. The Area Agency on Aging will conduct outreach efforts to identify older individuals eligible for assistance under the Act, with special emphasis on rural elderly, older individuals with greatest economic need (with particular attention to low-income minority individuals and older individuals residing in rural areas), older individuals with greatest social need (with particular attention to low-income minority individuals and older individuals residing in rural areas), older individuals with severe disabilities, older individuals with limited English proficiency, older individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders with neurological and organic brain dysfunction (and the caretakers of such individuals), and older individuals at risk for institutional placement; and inform such individuals of the availability of services under the Plan. 7. The Area Agency on Aging will ensure that each activity undertaken by the agency, including planning, advocacy, and systems development, includes a focus on the needs of low-income minority older individuals and older individuals residing in rural areas. 8. The Area Agency on Aging will coordinate planning, identification, assessment of needs, and provision of services for older individuals with disabilities, and individuals at risk for institutional placement, with particular attention to individuals with severe disabilities, with agencies that develop or provide services for individuals with disabilities. 9. The Area Agency on Aging has established and is following methods to take into account in connection with matters of general policy arising in the development and administration of the Area Plan, the views of recipients of services under the Area Plan. 10. The Area Agency on Aging has established and is following methods to assure that the Area Agency will serve as the advocate and focal point for older individuals within the community by monitoring, evaluating, and commenting on policies and programs, hearings, levies, and community actions which will affect older persons. 11. The Area Agency on Aging has established an Advisory Council consisting of older individuals (including minority individuals and older individuals residing in rural areas) who are participants or who are eligible to participate in programs assisted under the Older Americans Act, family caregivers of such individuals, service providers, representatives of the business community, representatives of older individuals, local elected officials, providers of veteran’s health care (if appropriate), and the general public, to advise continuously the Area Agency on all matters relating to the development of the Area Plan, the administration of the Area Plan and operations conducted under the Area Plan. 12. The Area Agency on Aging, in carrying out the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program under Section 307(a)(9), will expend not less than the total amount of funds appropriated under the Older Americans Act and expended by the Area Agency in Fiscal Year 2000 in carrying out such a program under Title III. 13. The Area Agency on Aging will provide a grievance procedure for older individuals who are dissatisfied with or denied services under Title III. 14. The Area Agency on Aging assures that funds received under Title III will not be used to pay any part of a cost (including an administrative cost) incurred by the Area Agency on Aging to carry out a contract or commercial relationship that is not carried out to implement Title III. 15. The Area Agency on Aging assures that funds received under Title III will be used to provide benefits and services to older individuals, and the Area Agency on Aging will give priority for services to older individuals identified in section 306 (a) (4)(A)(i) of the Older Americans Act. 16. The Area Agency on Aging assures that funds received under Title III will be used to provide, to the extent feasible, for the furnishing of services under the Older Americans Act, consistent with self-directed care. 17. The Area Agency on Aging assures that funds received under Title III will be used to include information detailing how the Area Agency on Aging will coordinate activities, and develop long-range emergency preparedness plans, with local and State emergency response agencies, relief organizations, local and State governments, and any other institutions that have responsibility for disaster relief service delivery. 18. The Area Agency on Aging will assure that no officer, employee, or other representative of the Area Agency on Aging is subject to a conflict of interest prohibited under the Older Americans Act and mechanisms are in place to identify and remove conflicts of interest prohibited under the Older Americans Act. 19. The Area Agency on Aging assures that the Area Agency on Aging and Older Americans Act-funded service providers will conduct outreach efforts that will— (A) identify individuals eligible for assistance under this Act, with special emphasis on— (i) older individuals residing in rural areas; (ii) older individuals with greatest economic need (with particular attention to low-income older individuals, including low-income minority older individuals, older individuals with limited English proficiency, and older individuals residing in rural areas); (iii) older individuals with greatest social need (with particular attention to low-income older individuals, including low-income minority older individuals, older individuals with limited English proficiency, and older individuals residing in rural areas); (iv) older individuals with severe disabilities; (v) older individuals with limited English-speaking ability; and (vi) older individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders with neurological and organic brain dysfunction (and the caretakers of such individuals); and (B) inform the older individuals referred to in clauses (i) through (vi) of subparagraph (A), and the caretakers of such individuals, of the availability of such assistance. 20. Funds made available under Title III shall supplement, and not supplant, any Federal, State, or local funds expended by an Area Agency on Aging to provide services described in the Older Americans Act. 21. The Area Agency on Aging has established and is following methods that ensure that all services provided through the Area Plan are provided without the use of any means tests. 22. The Area Agency on Aging has established and is following methods that ensure that all older persons receiving services through the Area Plan are provided the opportunity to voluntarily contribute to the cost of the services. 23. The Area Agency on Aging will annually submit the details of proposals to pay for program development and coordination as a cost of supportive services, to the general public for review and comment in accordance with the procedures established by the State Agency.

Individuals; Nonprofit Organizations; Government Organizations;

These funds are designated for Area Agencies on Aging

Individuals residing in long-term care facilities or requiring assistance in entering or transferring from such facilities.

Project Grants

Human Services

Area Agencies on Aging must be in good standing with the Comptroller and Secretary of State's Office prior to applying.

The Ombudsman program services are available free of charge to... •Person(s) 18 or older who is/are either a current resident, a prospective resident, or a former resident of a long-term care facility; •Friends and relatives of persons who live in long-term care facilities; •Long-term care facility staff members and administrators with resident-related concerns; •Individuals and families who are considering long-term care facility placement as a long-term care option; •The community-at-large; and •Other interested groups concerned about the welfare of residents of long-term care facilities.

Applications must be received electronically through the AmpliFund System by the award opportunity due date. Please follow this link to apply: https://il.amplifund.com/Public/Opportunities/Details/c5ad0d4a-b9d8-4fe9-ade5-d430b16eac37

Funding is designated for Area Agencies on Aging through the Intrastate Funding Formula.

Illinois distributes funding to designated Area Agencies on Aging through an Intrastate Funding Formula.

7/1/2021

60-90 days

N/A

N/A

N/A

These funds shall be used for direct service staff to conduct required Regional Ombudsman Program service activities and to pay for related allowable Regional Ombudsman Program expenditures such as travel, training, and IT support.

Quarterly PPR, PFR and PP&DSR reports are submitted to the Office of Older American Services.

Non-Federal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503. In accordance with the provisions of Subpart F-Audit Requirements, under 45 CFR Part 75.500, nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year. Except as noted in 45 CFR Part 75.500

Records must be kept available for 3 years after submission of the final expenditure report.

001-40205-4900-1200

FY2022: $3,500,000

$58,800-$674,975

Advocating for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes and assisted living facilities, to improve the lives of those in the long term care system. Providing information about how to find a facility and what to do to get quality care.

Illinois Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Policies and Procedures Manual

Regional Administrator, Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Regional Offices.

One Natural Resources Way, #100, Springfield, IL 62702

Contacts: •the Illinois Department on Aging Senior HelpLine; •the Regional Long-Term Care Ombudsman? Program in your area.

93.042 Special Programs for the Aging_Title VII, Chapter 2_Long Term Care Ombudsman Services for Older Ind

N/A

7/1/2021

FY 2017 : $2,700,312
FY 2018 : $2,880,000
FY 2019 : $4,500,000
FY 2020 : $4,500,000
FY 2021 : $4,500,000
FY 2022 : $3,500,000
FY 2023 : $2,250,000
FY 2024 : $2,350,000
FY 2025 : $2,350,000