Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.

Existing law, as part of the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, establishes the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, under the direction of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, in the California Department of Aging. Existing law provides for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program under which funds are allocated to local ombudsman programs to assist elderly persons in long-term health care facilities and residential care facilities by, among other things, investigating and seeking to resolve complaints against these facilities. This bill would require the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to perform enumerated duties to provide for the health, safety, welfare, and rights of residents of long-term care facilities as described in the federal Older Americans Act, including, among other things, the duty to respond to complaints, as specified, to provide services and information to residents to help protect their health, safety, welfare, and rights, and to ensure timely access to the services provided by the office.