Long-Term Care Ombudsman Data and Information Committee Report: July 15
Jul 18, 2011
Florida’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Data and Information Committee (“Committee”) met via teleconference on July 15, 2011, to discuss the creation of an ombudsman survey to determine ways to improve Florida’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (“Program”) and find out why people volunteer for it.
After approving minutes for the May 5 and June 9 meetings, Committee members explained that the survey is needed to better understand what areas of the Program could be improved. Turnover in the Program has been high, with the number of volunteers dropping from more than 400 at one point to a low of 250, one Committee member noted. Current volunteer participation is at 286.
“We would like to learn why (the volunteers) stay, what motivates them to stay with the program, what they like, what they don’t like, how to improve it,” one Committee member stated. “What our volunteers do is a very difficult job.”
The Committee discussed the possibility of using a survey provider that offers a free 10-question pilot survey for distribution to 100 participants as a way to begin shaping questions. A fee is charged to use the service to ask more questions and to survey a larger group of people. The Committee’s goal is to survey ombudsmen state-wide.
Committee members were asked to submit possible survey questions for discussion at their scheduled August meeting.
The Committee is also hoping to find ways to recruit more volunteers. It was suggested that volunteers could possibly be found at vocational schools, and also by targeting retiring government employees.
With no further business before the Committee, the meeting was adjourned.
Executive Committee Report
When it met via conference call on July 1, 2011, Florida’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Executive Committee lacked a quorum, leaving it unable to take any official actions.
However, during the call, a recommendation was considered to decertify Ombudsman Winn Hoffman, who was formerly Ombudsman of the Year. Executive Committee members expressed concern that they had received no details as to why Mr. Hoffman would be recommended for decertification. They also voiced concern over Mr. Hoffman’s claims that he has not received any information as to why Program staff has recommended his decertification.
Program Staff members participating in the call indicated it was general policy not to reveal the details of such matters due to legal and privacy concerns. Further, they indicated that Mr. Hoffman had been fully informed as to his actions that led to the decertification recommendation.
The Executive Committee also discussed a recent incident in which an Ombudsman had criminal charges filed against him after physically forcing his way into an assisted living facility.
Again the Staff members indicated they could not discuss the issue since it is an ongoing legal issue, but assured the Committee that they are monitoring the situation and assisting when possible.
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