Every state has a Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Here is how to reach yours.
Nursing home care is governed state by state. This directory connects you to the official ombudsman, survey agency, and protective-services contacts for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, plus the federal databases families use to check a facility before and after a problem.
A free advocate who answers to the resident, not the facility.
Every state operates a Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. An ombudsman is a trained advocate whose only job is to protect the rights and wellbeing of people living in nursing homes, assisted living, and other long-term care settings. The service is free, and you do not need a lawyer, a diagnosis, or proof of wrongdoing to use it. A family member, a friend, or the resident can call.
Ombudsmen investigate complaints about care, safety, dignity, billing, discharge, and visitation. They have a federal right of access to residents and, with permission, to records, and they work to resolve problems at the lowest possible level before they escalate. Because the program is confidential and the resident directs what happens with their complaint, families often turn to the ombudsman first when something feels wrong but they are not yet sure whether it rises to the level of a legal claim.
What an ombudsman can help with
- Quality and safety concerns: unexplained injuries, pressure ulcers, weight loss, medication problems, or a sudden decline. If you are not sure what to look for, our guide to the signs of nursing home abuse and neglect walks through the red flags.
- Rights violations: being denied visitors, mail, or participation in care decisions, or being restrained without medical need. These are protected by federal law described in our resident rights guide.
- Discharge and transfer disputes: a facility trying to evict a resident or refusing to readmit after a hospital stay.
- Billing and financial questions, including concerns that may point to financial exploitation.
An ombudsman cannot file a lawsuit for you, impose fines, or order a facility to pay damages. For those outcomes you need either a state regulator or a qualified attorney. The two paths are not mutually exclusive. Many families report to the ombudsman and the state survey agency while also speaking with a lawyer, because reporting protects other residents and a legal claim protects the family.
The program exists because federal law requires it.
Nursing home oversight is a partnership. Federal statutes set the floor, and each state administers the day-to-day program. Knowing which law does what helps you reach the right office faster.
The Older Americans Act created the ombudsman
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program was established under the Older Americans Act of 1965. Federal law directs every state to operate a program, gives ombudsmen the right to access residents and facilities, and protects the confidentiality of complaints.
Older Americans Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3058gThe Nursing Home Reform Act set the care standard
Facilities that accept Medicare or Medicaid must help each resident reach their highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial wellbeing. That duty, and the residents' bill of rights, comes from the Nursing Home Reform Act, passed in 1987.
42 U.S.C. §§ 1395i-3 and 1396rFederal regulations spell out the details
The day-to-day requirements, from residents' rights to freedom from abuse, neglect, and exploitation, are written into the Code of Federal Regulations. State surveyors inspect facilities against these exact standards.
42 C.F.R. Part 483, including §§ 483.10 and 483.12The Elder Justice Act funds protection
The Elder Justice Act supports Adult Protective Services and abuse-prevention efforts and requires certain facilities to report suspected crimes against residents to law enforcement.
42 U.S.C. § 1397j et seq.Courts in many states treat a facility's violation of federal residents' rights standards as evidence of negligence, because those standards help define the duty of care a nursing home owes. The exact effect varies by state, which is one reason a claim should be reviewed by an attorney licensed where the facility operates. You can read how these theories differ in our guide to negligence, malpractice, and abuse, and learn who is allowed to bring a case in who can file a nursing home lawsuit.
State ombudsman directory: 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Select your state to reach its official Long-Term Care Ombudsman through the federal Eldercare Locator. Each program is administered locally, so contact details are confirmed at the official source rather than reproduced here, where they can fall out of date.
No match. Try the full state name, or call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.
National hotlines and databases families actually use.
These federal and nonprofit resources work in every state. Save the numbers before you need them.
Eldercare Locator
The national starting point. Connects you to your local ombudsman, area agency on aging, and Adult Protective Services.
1-800-677-1116 eldercare.acl.govMedicare Care Compare
Official inspection results and the five-star quality ratings for every certified nursing home. Use it before choosing a facility.
Five-star ratings medicare.gov/care-compareAdult Protective Services
Each state runs APS to investigate abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults. Reach your local office through the Eldercare Locator.
State-administered Find your state APSNational Consumer Voice
A nonprofit that maintains a state-by-state ombudsman directory and consumer fact sheets on long-term care rights.
Directory & guides theconsumervoice.orgState Survey Agency
The state office that inspects facilities and investigates formal complaints against a nursing home's license and certification.
Files official complaints How to report abuseMedicaid Fraud Control Units
State units that prosecute resident abuse and neglect in Medicaid-funded facilities, authorized under federal law.
42 U.S.C. § 1396b(q) Find your state MFCUCall 911 first. Hotlines, ombudsmen, and surveyors handle investigations and oversight, not emergencies. When a resident faces an immediate threat to health or safety, emergency services come before any report or legal call.
How to use these resources, in order.
When you are worried about a loved one, the sequence below keeps the resident safe, creates a record, and preserves your options.
Make sure the resident is safe
If there is an immediate threat, call 911. Otherwise, document what you see and note dates, names, and what was said.
Call the ombudsman
Use the directory above or the Eldercare Locator. The ombudsman can investigate and advocate, at no cost, with the resident's consent.
File with the state
Report to the state survey agency and, where appropriate, Adult Protective Services. This triggers an official inspection and a record.
Preserve evidence
Keep photos, records, and a timeline. Our guide on evidence to gather shows what matters most for a later claim.
Reporting and litigation answer different questions. A report to the ombudsman or the state asks whether the facility is meeting its obligations to its residents. A legal claim asks whether your family has suffered a harm that the law allows you to recover for. Both can proceed at the same time, and acting early on each protects different interests. Deadlines are unforgiving, and they vary widely between states, so review the statute of limitations by state and our overview of claim timelines and deadlines early. If you are weighing a facility for a loved one, the steps in how to choose a safe nursing home and the what to do if you suspect abuse guide pair naturally with this directory.
When to also speak with an attorney.
The ombudsman and the state protect residents going forward. They do not recover money for an injury, a hospitalization, or a death that has already happened. If your loved one was seriously harmed, a consultation with a nursing home abuse attorney is the way to learn whether you have a claim and what it may be worth.
That is the part this resource is built to help with. We are an independent editorial site, not a law firm, and we connect families with attorneys we have vetted under a published process. You can read exactly how that screening works on our how we vet attorneys page, and see what a fair outcome can look like in settlements and compensation.
State resources, answered.
Is the Long-Term Care Ombudsman really free?
Yes. The program is funded under the Older Americans Act and costs nothing to use. You do not need a lawyer or a formal complaint to call, and the ombudsman works on behalf of the resident, not the facility.
What is the difference between the ombudsman and Adult Protective Services?
The ombudsman advocates for residents of long-term care facilities and works to resolve complaints, often informally. Adult Protective Services investigates abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults and can intervene in serious cases. For a facility resident in danger, you may contact both, and 911 for an emergency.
How do I check a nursing home's inspection record?
Use Medicare Care Compare at medicare.gov/care-compare, which publishes inspection results and a five-star quality rating for every certified facility. Our guide to choosing a safe nursing home explains how to read those ratings.
Will reporting to the state start a lawsuit?
No. A report to the ombudsman or state survey agency triggers oversight, not a lawsuit. A civil claim is separate and is handled by an attorney. Many families do both, because reporting protects current residents and a claim addresses harm already done. See how the legal theories differ.
Do these deadlines really vary by state?
Yes, and significantly. The statute of limitations for a nursing home claim depends on the state and the type of claim, and it can run quickly. Review the statute of limitations by state and speak with an attorney early so a deadline does not pass.
Can you tell me my state's ombudsman phone number directly?
Contact details change, and publishing them here risks sending you to a disconnected line. The most reliable path is the federal Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 or the directory above, which routes you to the current official office for your state.
Important notes about this page
This is not legal advice and we are not a law firm. Nursing Home Abuse Help is an independent editorial resource. Reading this page or contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. We connect families with independent vetted attorneys who, if you choose to engage them, represent you. Those attorneys, not this site, provide legal services.
This is not medical advice. Information here is educational. For any health concern about a resident, consult a licensed clinician, and call 911 in an emergency.
Government contacts can change. Agency names, phone numbers, and web addresses are maintained by federal, state, and nonprofit bodies and may change without notice. Always confirm current details through the official Eldercare Locator or the linked source before relying on them.
Law varies by state. The rights, deadlines, and remedies described here depend on where a facility operates. Statements about the law are general and current to the page's last review date. They are not a substitute for advice from an attorney licensed in your state.
Use the resources. Then find out where your family stands.
The ombudsman protects the resident today. A free, confidential review tells you whether you also have a claim for what already happened.