EARLY PHASE
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THE PLAN
OMBUDSMEN ARE HERE TO HELP Courtesy of Texas Health and Human Services
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FALL/WINTER 2021
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long-term care ombudsman not only enforces, but also helps nursing home residents to understand their rights. Living in a nursing home doesn’t mean giving up your freedom. If you feel someone is violating you or your loved one’s rights, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s long-term care ombudsman can help. Nursing home residents have the same rights and protections of their health, safety and welfare that we all share. For nursing home residents, these rights include the right to vote, voice complaints, exercise personal choice, the opportunity to make medical and social decisions, visit with anyone they wish, and to be lawfully discharged and leave the facility. One of the most common issues one might face when being discharged is to potentially lose their spot in the nursing home they were initially admitted to. This practice, known as “patient dumping,” is among the top five frequent complaints Patty Ducayet, Texas long-term care ombudsman, sees. The long-term care ombudsman will make sure the individual knows their rights, including the right to appeal and return to the nursing home after a hospital stay, and can represent them during that appeal.
