Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program: facility access.

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, and providing services to assist residents in the protection of their health, safety, welfare, and rights. Under existing law, if an individual is a patient in a skilled nursing facility when a written advance health care directive is executed, the advance health care directive is not effective unless a patient advocate or ombudsman signs the advance directive as a witness, as specified. This bill would prohibit a skilled nursing facility or residential care facility from denying entry to a representative of the office acting in their official capacity, except as specified. The bill would authorize a facility, during a state of emergency, health emergency, or local health emergency to require a representative of the office entering the facility to adhere to infection control protocols for the duration of their visit that are no more stringent than those required for facility staff. The bill would make related findings and declarations.