National Ombudsman Reporting System (NORS)

Ombudsman programs report their activities such as facility visits, complaints received and investigated, information and assistance provided, and community education to the Administration for Community Living (ACL)/Administration on Aging (AoA) to be summarized in the National Ombudsman Reporting System (NORS). 

The Basics – What You Must Know

The following NORS tables have been modified by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. 

• Table 1: NORS Parts A, B and C - Case and complaint codes, values, and definitions
• Table 2: Complaint codes and definitions
• Table 3: State Program Information

​NORS Tables Revisions Chart

Complaint Codes

Resources updated as of July 2025

• User Friendly NORS Complaint Codes and Definitions
• One-Page List of NORS Complaint Codes

Training Materials

NORC updated the four-part NORS training materials to reflect the modified NORS tables and guide programs in documenting and reporting their work. Ombudsman programs are encouraged to use these materials during initial certification training and as continuing education training to ensure NORS consistency.

Online NORS Training Course

This four part online NORS training course is intended to be used as self-study along with additional guidance from the Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman about your state’s data system, policies and procedures, and gathering of accurate and timely information. This training may be used by states during initial certification training and as continuing education training for quality assurance. 
 

Part 1 – Case, Complaint, Complainant AND Information and Assistance

• NORS Training Part 1: Basic Principles 
• NORS Training Part 1: Quiz (Fillable PDF)
• NORS Training Part 1: Quiz Answer Sheet

Part 2 – Complaint Coding

• NORS Training Part 2: Complaint Coding Basic Principles 
• NORS Training Part 2: Complaint Coding Quiz (Fillable PDF)
• NORS Training Part 2: Complaint Coding Quiz Answer Sheet
• NORS Training Part 2: Complaint Coding Beyond the Basics Quiz (Fillable PDF)
• NORS Training Part 2: Complaint Coding Beyond the Basics Quiz Answer Sheet

Part 3 – Verification, Disposition, Referral, and Closing Cases

• NORS Training Part 3: Verification, Disposition, Referral, and Closing Cases Basic Principles
• NORS Training Part 3: Verification, Disposition, Referral, and Closing Cases Quiz (Fillable PDF)
• NORS Training Part 3: Verification, Disposition, Referral, and Closing Cases Quiz Answer Sheet

Part 4 – Ombudsman Program Activities

• NORS Training Part 4: Ombudsman Program Activities Basic Principles
• NORS Training Part 4: Ombudsman Program Activities Quiz (Fillable PDF)
• NORS Training Part 4: Ombudsman Program Activities Quiz Answer Sheet 

Additional Training Materials

• Is it a Visit? Decision Tree
• Is it a Complaint or Information & Assistance (I&A)? Decision Tree
• Case Notes Checklist
• Documenting Information & Assistance (I&A) Provided During Visits

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

FAQs updated as of July 2025

• NORS FAQs

NORS Data

FFY 2024 NORS Data VIEW  →

FFY 2023 NORS Data VIEW  →

2020 NORS Data Brief - Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program: Supporting Transitions

Administration for Community Living (ACL) Aging, Independence, Disability (AGID) Data Portal - AGID provides access to data, maps, and statistical reports related to aging and disability programs. It consists of data files, surveys, and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau.