Washington · statute · Wash. Rev. Code ch. 43.190 · 12 active provisions
The legislature finds that in order to comply with the federal older Americans act and to effectively assist residents, patients, and clients of long-term care facilities in the assertion of their civil and human rights, a long-term care ombuds program should be instituted.
As used in this chapter, "long-term care facility" means any of the following:(1) A facility which:(a) Maintains and operates twenty-four hour skilled nursing services for the care and treatment of chronically ill or convalescent patients, including mental, emotional, or behavioral problems, intellectual disabilities,…
There is created the office of the state long-term care ombuds. The department of commerce shall contract with a private nonprofit organization to provide long-term care ombuds services as specified under, and consistent with, the federal older Americans act as amended, federal mandates, the goals of the state, and the…
(1) Any long-term care ombuds authorized by this chapter or a local governmental authority shall have training or experience or both in the following areas:(a) Gerontology, long-term care, or other related social services programs.(b) The legal system.(c) Dispute or problem resolution techniques, including investigatio…
Every long-term care facility shall post in a conspicuous location a notice of the nursing home complaint toll-free number and the name, address, and phone number of the office of the appropriate long-term care ombuds and a brief description of the services provided by the office. The form of the notice shall be approv…
A long-term care ombuds shall:(1) Identify, investigate, and resolve complaints made by or on behalf of residents of long-term care facilities relating to administrative action, inaction, or decisions which may adversely affect the health, safety, welfare, and rights of these individuals;(2) Monitor the development and…
A local long-term care ombuds, including a trained volunteer long-term care ombuds, shall have the duties and authority set forth in the federal older Americans act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 3058 et seq.) for local ombuds. The state long-term care ombuds and representatives of the office of the state long-term care ombuds, shall…
(1) The office of the state long-term care ombuds shall develop referral procedures for all long-term care ombuds programs to refer any complaint to any appropriate state or local government agency. The department of social and health services shall act as quickly as possible on any complaint referred to them by a long…
(1) The office of the state long-term care ombuds shall develop procedures governing the right of entry of all long-term care ombuds to long-term care facilities and shall have access to residents with provisions made for privacy for the purpose of hearing, investigating, and resolving complaints of, and rendering advi…
(1) No long-term care ombuds is liable for good faith performance of responsibilities under this chapter.(2) No discriminatory, disciplinary, or retaliatory action may be taken against any employee of a facility or agency, any patient, resident, or client of a long-term care facility, or any volunteer, for any communic…
All records and files of long-term care ombuds relating to any complaint or investigation made pursuant to carrying out their duties and the identities of complainants, witnesses, patients, or residents shall remain confidential unless disclosure is authorized by the patient or resident or his or her guardian or legal…
It is the intent that federal requirements be complied with and the department annually expend at least one percent of the state's allotment of social services funds from Title III B of the older Americans act of 1965, as it exists as of July 24, 1983, or twenty thousand dollars, whichever is greater to establish the s…