(1) There is created the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program in the Department of Elderly Affairs.
(2)(a) The State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program shall be headed by the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, who shall serve on a full-time basis and shall personally, or through representatives of the program, carry out its purposes and functions in accordance with state and federal law.
(b) The state ombudsman shall be appointed by and shall serve at the pleasure of the Secretary of Elderly Affairs. The secretary shall appoint a person who has expertise and experience in the fields of long-term care and advocacy to serve as state ombudsman.
(3)(a) There is created in the office the position of legal advocate, who shall be selected by and serve at the pleasure of the state ombudsman and shall be a member in good standing of The Florida Bar.
(b) The duties of the legal advocate shall include, but not be limited to:
1. Assisting the state ombudsman in carrying out the duties of the office with respect to the abuse, neglect, exploitation, or violation of rights of residents of long-term care facilities.
2. Assisting the representatives of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program in carrying out their responsibilities under this part.
3. Pursuing administrative, legal, and other appropriate remedies on behalf of residents.
4. Serving as legal counsel to the representatives of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program in any suit or other legal action that is initiated in connection with the performance of the official duties of the representatives of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.
History.—ss. 3, 30, ch. 93-177; s. 41, ch. 95-196; s. 121, ch. 2000-349; s. 41, ch. 2000-367; s. 20, ch. 2002-223; s. 3, ch. 2006-121; s. 20, ch. 2006-197; s. 3, ch. 2015-31.
Copyright ©2024 LegalFix. All rights reserved. LegalFix is not a law firm, is not licensed to practice law, and does not provide legal advice, services, or representation. The information on this website is an overview of the legal plans you can purchase—or that may be provided by your employer as an employee benefit or by your credit union or other membership group as a membership benefit.
LegalFix provides its members with easy access to affordable legal services through a network of independent law firms. LegalFix, its corporate entity, and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and contractors do not provide legal advice, services, or representation—directly or indirectly.
The articles and information on the site are not legal advice and should not be relied upon—they are for information purposes only. You should become a LegalFix member to get legal services from one of our network law firms.
You should not disclose confidential or potentially incriminating information to LegalFix—you should only communicate such information to your network law firm.
The benefits and legal services described in the LegalFix legal plans are not always available in all states or with all plans. See the legal plan Benefit Overview and the more comprehensive legal plan contract during checkout for coverage details in your state.
Use of this website, the purchase of legal plans, and access to the LegalFix networks of law firms are subject to the LegalFix Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.