(a) Residents' advocates shall be appointed by the State Ombudsman, in consultation with the regional ombudsmen, for each region in sufficient number to serve the long-term care facilities within such region. Such residents' advocates shall, if possible, be residents of the region in which they will serve, and shall have demonstrated an interest in the care of individuals who reside in long-term care facilities. Residents' advocates shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, within available appropriations.

(b) The residents' advocates shall be appointed after submission of recommendations from at least two former employers or other nonrelated persons.

(c) The residents' advocates shall serve for a term of years specified by the State Ombudsman provided a residents' advocate may be removed by the State Ombudsman whenever the State Ombudsman finds such residents' advocate guilty of misconduct, material neglect of duty or incompetence in the conduct of the office or noncompliance with specified requirements of the position.

(d) Nothing in sections 17a-405 to 17a-417, inclusive, 19a-523, 19a-524, 19a-530, 19a-531, 19a-532 and 19a-554 shall be construed to preclude the use of additional trained volunteers when it is deemed necessary to assist the State Ombudsman, regional ombudsmen or the residents' advocates.

(e) Until such time as residents' advocates are appointed in accordance with the provisions of sections 17a-405 to 17a-417, inclusive, 19a-523, 19a-524, 19a-530, 19a-531, 19a-532 and 19a-554, those residents' advocates previously appointed shall continue to perform their assigned duties and responsibilities.

(P.A. 77-575, S. 2, 23; P.A. 85-97; 85-613, S. 34, 154; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; P.A. 99-176, S. 2, 24; P.A. 18-6, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 85-97 required that chief administrative officer and committee on aging be consulted about appointment of advocates, where previously they were empowered to submit the nominees, and specified requirements for prospective advocates' recommendations; P.A. 85-613 made technical changes, substituting references to Sec. 2c-2b(a)(20) for references to Sec. 2c-2a; Sec. 17-135b transferred to Sec. 17a-406 in 1991; P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department on aging, effective July 1, 1993; Sec. 17a-406 transferred to Sec. 17b-401 in 1995; P.A. 99-176 amended section to substitute “residents' advocates” for “patients' advocates” and to substitute “long-term care facilities” for “nursing home facilities”, amended Subsec. (b) to delete “after consultation with the chief administrative officer and committee on aging for each town, area agency on aging and director of health serving each town” re appointment of residents' advocates, amended Subsec. (c) to substitute “State Ombudsman” for “Commissioner of Social Services” and “the State Ombudsman” for “he” re finding advocates guilty of misconduct, etc., and amended Subsecs. (d) and (e) to delete reference to Sec. 2c-2b(a)(20), effective July 1, 1999; Sec. 17b-401 transferred to Sec. 17a-406 in 2015; P.A. 18-6 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “the elderly” with “individuals who reside in long-term care facilities” and amended Subsec. (c) by adding provision re noncompliance with requirements of position grounds for removal, effective May 14, 2018.