NORC at the University of Chicago and its partners are conducting a national evaluation of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) on behalf of the Administration for Community Living/Administration on Aging (ACL/AoA). The LTCOP aims to protect and promote the health, safety, welfare, and rights of residents in long-term care facilities by resolving residents' complaints, advocating for systemic change, and providing information and consultation to residents and their families and stakeholders. Our process evaluation intends to understand the following:

• the LTCOP's structure and operations at the national, state, and local levels

• the use of resources to carry out legislative mandates

• the nature of program relationships

• processes for sharing information and areas for improvement

ACL/AoA anticipates that the study will provide practical and policy-relevant insight into LTCOP services and processes, highlight promising program practices, and provide critical information to enable ACL/AoA to better protect greater numbers of vulnerable elders. 

NORC and its project partners collect data in two phases. In Round 1, the team will conduct interviews with federal staff, national stakeholders, and state ombudsmen. In Round 2, the team will administer web and paper surveys to state ombudsmen, a sample of local ombudsmen, and volunteers in 27 states. Deliverables include a final report and six topical briefs. Throughout the project, the team will share information on the evaluation's progress and preliminary findings through various outlets, including conferences and professional meetings. NORC's evaluation reports and background information on the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program are available on ACL's website.