(a) The area ombudsman staff makes periodic visits to all long-term care facilities in the area covered by the designated area ombudsman entity to ensure State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program services are made available to the residents.
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(1) Residents of each facility are visited a minimum of four times each fiscal year.
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(A) Visits made by appointment, including in-service training for facility staff, are not counted toward the ombudsman staff's four visits per year.
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(B) When the ombudsman visits residents as a citizen observer in inspections by the Oklahoma State Department of Health the visit may be counted.
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(C) Visits made to resolve complaints are counted if multiple residents are visited as a part of this function.
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(2) Visits are documented on forms approved by the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman (Office) and protected according to the program's confidentiality requirements. Visits are:
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(A) unannounced and the dates kept confidential; and
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(B) not posted or revealed to any person other than the director of the Area Agency on Aging designated as the area ombudsman entity who must likewise safeguard them.
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(3) The area ombudsman staff accompanies each newly certified ombudsman volunteer to the volunteer's assigned facility, by appointment, for an introductory visit to:
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(A) introduce the volunteer to the administrator, residents, and facility; and
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(B) explain or clarify the role of the ombudsman volunteer.
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(4) The area ombudsman staff conducts at least one supervisory visit with each certified ombudsman volunteer to his or her assigned facility each year to:
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(A) assess skills, relationships, and understanding of appropriate role;
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(B) assist the volunteer with a complaint or other problem; or
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(C) do both (A) and (B).
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(5) The area ombudsman staff offers and conducts in-service training for staff of long-term care facilities on residents' rights, elder abuse prevention, and other topics of importance to residents.
(b) The certified ombudsman volunteer visits residents in his or her assigned facility, at least two hours per week, for the purpose of assisting the residents to resolve or prevent problems or complaints. Each visit is documented.
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(1) No volunteer may officially begin his or her visitation and other duties in a facility as a certified ombudsman volunteer until he or she:
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(2) A volunteer who is temporarily unable to fulfill visitation or other program responsibilities, may request or be placed on leave of absence. As defined in this Part, leave of absence may be granted due to:
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(A) ill health of volunteer or volunteer's family;
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(B) vacation or extended travel; or
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(C) other reason approved by the ombudsman supervisor.
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(3) Leave of absence must not exceed three months duration. If the volunteer is unable to resume official duties by the end of the three‑month period, the area supervisor notifies the Office and the volunteer's certification is withdrawn.
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(4) The volunteer may request voluntary decertification from the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program at any time and be re-certified at a later date if all other requirements are met.
(c) Ombudsman participation as a citizen observer in unannounced inspections by the Oklahoma State Department of Health is allowed by the Oklahoma Nursing Home Care Act, the Oklahoma Residential Care Act, and the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act.
- (1) Ombudsman staff and certified ombudsman volunteers may participate.
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(2) Inspection schedule information is kept in a locked file and access is restricted to ombudsman staff.
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(3) The location of the inspection is shared by state ombudsman staff only with the area ombudsman supervisor.
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(4) The ombudsman volunteer for that facility may be notified, but notification is made no earlier than the date of the inspection.
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(5) Early notification to a facility is strictly prohibited. Penalties are set in state and federal statutes for violations that result in early notification to a facility.
(d) Upon entering a facility for a visit, ombudsman staff and volunteers notify the administrator or other charge person of their presence. If no charge person is located, any staff person may be notified. This requirement is not intended to delay an ombudsman from proceeding promptly with a complaint investigation or resident visitation.