1. The Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman is hereby created within the Division.

2. The Administrator shall appoint the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to advocate for the protection of the health, safety, welfare and rights of residents of facilities for long-term care. The Ombudsman is in the classified service of the State. The Ombudsman shall, under direction of the Administrator:

(a) Train advocates to:

(1) Receive, investigate and attempt to resolve complaints made by or on behalf of residents of facilities for long-term care.

(2) Investigate acts, practices, policies or procedures of any facility for long-term care or any governmental agency which relates to such care and may adversely affect the health, safety, welfare or civil rights of residents of such facilities, and report the results of the investigations to the Ombudsman and the Administrator.

(3) Record and analyze information and complaints about facilities for long-term care to identify problems affecting their residents.

(4) Provide for the support and development of resident and family councils to protect the well-being and rights of residents of facilities for long-term care.

(5) Assist facilities for long-term care to provide services to residents in the manner set forth in paragraph (b).

(b) Develop a course of training to be made available to officers, directors and employees of a facility for long-term care to encourage such facilities to provide services to their residents in a manner that allows the residents to follow their own routine and make their own decisions concerning the daily activities in which to participate. The course must also provide information concerning how to provide services in that manner.

(c) Coordinate services within the Department which may affect residents and prospective residents of facilities for long-term care to ensure that such services are made available to eligible persons.

(d) Provide information to interested persons and to the general public concerning the functions and activities of the Ombudsman.

(e) Report annually to the Administrator.

3. The Ombudsman may:

(a) Analyze, provide comment on and monitor the development and implementation of any federal, state or local governmental action, activity or program that relates to the protection of the health, safety, welfare and rights of residents of facilities for long-term care; and

(b) Recommend changes to any federal, state or local governmental action, activity or program described in paragraph (a) without the prior approval of the Administrator.

(Added to NRS by 1983, 1026; A 1993, 115; 2009, 41; 2015, 383; 2017, 700)