It is important to know the steps you can take to advocate for yourself when this happens. If things go wrong, there are specific actions you can and should take to try and change the situation within your facility.
Filing a Complaint & Getting Help
Getting Help
Too often long-term care residents find themselves in situations where their rights are being violated and their needs are not being met.
Advocating for Change in Your Nursing Facility
- Start with the staff
- Care plan meeting
- Facility grievance process
- Resident & Family Councils
- Ombudsman Program
- State Survey Agency
Discuss the problem with nursing home staff and the administration
Start with the staff member directly involved. If that is not successful, work your way up the nursing home hierarchy: staff supervisor, department head, administrator, facility owner/board of directors.
Raise your concerns at your next care plan meeting or request a special care plan meeting
The care plan meeting is an opportunity to share your concerns with staff, talk about what can be done, and develop a solution. Ask which staff person you should follow up with if the problems continue.
Use the facility grievance process
A grievance process is a formal way to raise a problem or complaint. Every nursing facility is required to have a grievance process. Ask for a copy of the facility’s grievance policy and follow the process to file a complaint or concern.
The facility must work to resolve the problem promptly. You must receive a written response telling you what was done to investigate the complaint, the findings, whether the complaint was confirmed, and any action the facility has taken, or actions they will take to correct the problem.
Raise your concerns with the resident or family council
Resident and family councils can be an effective resource for maintaining a consumer voice in the facility and for addressing facility-wide concerns with administrators.
If your facility has a resident and/or family council, consider joining it. If your facility does not have one, consider starting one. To learn more, visit our Resident Council Center and Family Council Center.
Contact the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
The Ombudsman program advocates for residents and can help resolve concerns. If you have any questions or concerns about your facility or the way you are being treated, contact the Ombudsman program in your state.
File a complaint with the State Survey Agency (SSA)
This agency is responsible for overseeing nursing homes and investigating complaints. You can file complaints anonymously if you prefer, and you can reach out to your Long-Term Care Ombudsman program for assistance.
View the steps on the left as a fact sheet.
Resources
Tips for Putting a Stop to Poor Care
Individuals living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities maintain the same rights as individuals in the larger community and have additional rights and protections in federal and state law.
Advocacy Toolkit
Use our Advocacy Toolkit for tips on advocating in your community and with decision makers.
Contact Us
Consumer Voice is a nonprofit organization advocating around long-term care issues at the national level. We are not a direct services agency. For assistance with individual concerns, click “Get Help” to contact your local long-term care Ombudsman program.
