Nursing Home Residents: Getting Help

Put a Stop to Poor Care

Consumer Voice's “Put a STOP to Poor Care” brochure (accessible in different formats here and here), 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.

Care Compare

Medicare.gov's Care Compare website is a place to find and compare Medicare-certified nursing homes based on a location, and compare the quality of care they provide and their staffing.

 Contact Your Local and State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

Long-term care ombudsmen 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. They are trained to resolve problems. If you want, the ombudsman can assist you with complaints.  Find contact information for the long-term care ombudsman program and other state agencies that may be able to provide assistance.

Join or Form a Resident Council

Residents in a facility can join to form a united consumer voice that can communicate concerns to facility administrators and work for resolutions and improvements by forming a resident council. Visit the Resident Council Center to learn more about resident council rights, regulations applying to long-term care facilities, effective council advocacy and tools for forming an effective council and more.

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. Find information about how to file a complaint with your SSA and see an example of a complaint form.  

Find more information in our fact sheets.