Specialized Information for:

Nursing HomesAssisted Living/Board & Care Home and Community Based Services

Training Materials Created by NORC

To view and take on-demand courses created by NORC, visit here.

For additional trainings provided by NORC via conference calls or webinars, visit here.


Training Materials by Topic


Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation

Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation and Misappropriation of Property
These materials can be used in training by and for Ombudsman program representatives, for members of resident and family councils, and community education.  

Responding to Allegations of Abuse: Role and Responsibilities of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (February 2018)
This reference guide discusses how LTC Ombudsmen can respond to allegations and observations of abuse, neglect and exploitation when the resident does not or cannot give consent to pursue the complaint. In the absence of resident consent, ombudsmen can take other actions to adhere to disclosure requirements and work to ensure the resident receives quality care and is protected from harm. This guide reviews the federal requirements and the LTCOP rule regarding complaint investigations and disclosure, highlights statements from the Administration on Aging, and provides advocacy strategies and additional resources.  

Resident-to-Resident Mistreatment and Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Advocacy (June 2018)
Resident-to-resident aggression is a serious issue that has a significant negative impact on all residents involved, but incidents are often not reported and investigated. The purpose of this reference guide is to provide an overview of resident-to-resident aggression in order to assist Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO) programs in effectively responding to complaints involving resident-to-resident aggression, as well as help prevent RRA and reduce the prevalence of these incidents.


Advocacy

What is a Routine Access Visit? Making the Most of Your Facility Visits
Routine access visits are critical to ensuring regular and timely resident access to Long-Term Care Ombudsman program (LTCOP) services. This pocket guide describes a variety of activities that would constitute a routine access visit. This pocket guide also provides a checklist to ensure routine access visit activities are conducted as well as warning signs and red flags of potential abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation

Nursing Homes: Getting Good Care There
Training Manual and PowerPoint (You Can Make a Difference)

"Put a STOP to Poor Care" brochure
This brochure, produced in collaboration with the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), includes indicators of quality care, warning signs, red flags of potential abuse, and advocacy tips to address concerns. This brochure was designed to help consumers understand quality care, learn how to identify issues, and gain action steps to advocate for the care they need and deserve. Long-term care ombudsmen (LTCO) could distribute this brochure during their visits, use it as a training tool during in-service training for facility staff, and share it with members of Resident and Family Councils. This brochure can be downloaded in different formats here and here.

Put a STOP to Poor Care Webinar
This Consumer Voice webinar was held in collaboration with the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) in order to provide a basic framework to help long-term care residents, their family members, and other advocates identify quality care and potential issues. The webinar presenters identify indicators of quality care and warning signs of poor care, provide communication tips, and share advocacy strategies to help consumers, family members, and others advocate for individualized care. Presenters also share available resources to assist in advocating for quality care and review the role of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO) Program and how to seek assistance from the LTCO program. The slides for this webinar can be downloaded as a PDF or as a PowerPoint.

Long-Term Care Ombudsman Casework: Advocacy and Communication Skills Training Kit
The purpose of this training kit is to review Long-Term Care Ombudsmen (LTCO) complaint investigation procedures and demonstrate resident-directed advocacy and effective communication skills during complaint intake, investigation, and resolution. The training kit includes a video with case scenarios, developed by the Texas Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, which is intended to be used with the accompanying trainer guidetrainee guide, and trainer guide with answers, developed by the National Ombudsman Resource Center, during training for new representatives or to refresh skills of experience representatives. This training kit provides examples of appropriate responses to the trainee guide as well as additional questions or tips for trainers to use in order to further the discussion initiated by the video. You can access the video and download the materials for free using the links above or purchase this video on a DVD and hard copies of the guide here


Assisted Living/Board and Care Homes

Translating NH Ombudsman Skills to Assisted Living and Teaching Guide 
Designed to enable ombudsmen to become more effective advocates for residents in assisted living facilities.


Communication

Working with Families: Tips for Effective Communication and Strategies for Challenging Situations (Updated July 2014)
This paper and supplemental resources provide tips, resources and strategies to help ombudsmen improve their skills in working with families. The paper reviews key communication techniques that are important for ombudsmen in their interactions with and communicating their role to families and discusses examples of challenging situations and strategies for assisting families during those situations. The appendices include materials for ombudsmen to use to help family members enrich their communication skills related to problem solving, inform them about their rights and the facility’s responsibilities, and teach them how to self-advocate.

The recording, PowerPoint slides, scenarios and discussion questions from the March 2013 webinar based on this paper. This webinar addresses how LTCO work for residents while working with family members. We discuss why it is important for Ombudsmen to work with family members, provide tips for effective communication and share resources to help LTCO teach self-advocacy and empower family members. In addition to sharing those tips and resources we review strategies for challenging situations and the participants discuss scenarios, respond to discussion questions and share their experiences in working with families. The communication tips, resources and strategies reviewed in this webinar can be adapted and used when working with residents, resident’s legal representative and other individuals.

Presentation Slides


Culture Change

LTCOP Innovative Practices: Incorporating Person-Centered Care in Ombudsman Training, Complaint Investigation and Advocacy (September 2012)
This training was part of a Pioneer Network Conference Intensive. 


Documentation

Case Notes Checklist (August 2022)
Use this checklist or your state-specific form when determining if all pertinent information is documented in the case notes.


Emergency Preparedness

Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Role in Emergency Preparedness and Response: The Basics (February 2022)
These training materials provide a basic training regarding the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program (Ombudsman program) role emergency preparedness and response. The materials may be used in initial certification training or in-service (continuing education) training. The training provides a brief explanation of emergency preparedness; basics of emergency preparedness for individuals, long-term care facilities, residents, and Ombudsman programs; the role of the Ombudsman program in emergency response; and additional resources. The training materials include a PowerPoint and a video. Ombudsman programs may customize the PowerPoint with specific state and/or local information. The content is the same in both resources; however, you may use them differently as described in the training instructions.


Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

The Who, What, Where, Why, and How of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (2020)
This presentation provides a general overview of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) highlighting the history, role and responsibilities of the program. Every state has a LTCOP, but each state operates their program differently. Therefore, this presentation will only address the program responsibilities required by federal law so the information is applicable in every state. At the conclusion of this presentation you should have an understanding about what the LTCOP does, who Long-Term Care Ombudsmen (LTCO) represent and how to work with the LTCO. LTCO can use this presentation when training potential LTCO, during Resident Council and Family Council meetings, community education, and in-services for facility staff. View the presentation as a PowerPoint.


Residents' Rights

Residents' Rights Training

NORC and Consumer Voice published consumer education materials regarding nursing home residents' rights.

Ombudsman programs can use these materials as a training toolkit for:

  • Community education;
  • Training for Resident and Family councils;
  • Training for facility staff; and
  • Initial training for Ombudsman program staff and volunteers.

Prezi - A Prezi is a visual storytelling alternative to a PowerPoint presentation. The Residents' Rights Prezi uses the map-like layout to provide an overview of residents’ rights overview, tips for exercising rights, and how to take action. The Prezi is available as a video with a voiceover or as a clickable presentation without the voiceover to be used with this script.

PowerPoints - This toolkit also includes a PowerPoint for consumer education and a PowerPoint for in-service training.

Fact Sheet - This fact sheet was developed for long-term care consumers to inform them about their rights.

All materials are available on the Consumer Voice website here and on the NORC website here. Additional residents' rights materials can be found here and FAQs related to residents' rights can be found here.


Systems Advocacy

Role and Responsibilities of Ombudsman Programs Regarding Systems Advocacy
These guides briefly define systems advocacy, review the federal mandate and support for systems advocacy work by Ombudsman programs, define several systems advocacy strategies, share examples of Ombudsman program advocacy, and provide resources for additional information.

Additional information related to systems advocacy is available here.


Transfer/Discharge

These materials can be used in training by and for Ombudsman program representatives, for members of resident and family councils, and community education.  


Archive

View archive here

Uses of Mediation in Assisted Living and Some Advice Thrown In (NASUAD for NORC)
This paper outlines a way for ombudsmen to explore and appreciate the major risk factors for disputes with relation to assisted living, and shows how mediation fits into the picture. Includes strategies for identifying and untangling underlying problems, opening a dialogue, and negotiation “gain-gain” solutions are examined via role play and group discussion.

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