Updated September 6, 2002

An Ombudsman is an advocate for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes, and assisted living. Ombudsmen provide information about how to find a facility and what to do to get quality care. They are trained to resolve problems. If you want, the ombudsman can assist you with complaints. However, unless you give the ombudsman permission to share your concerns, these matters are kept confidential.

Under the federal Older Americans Act, every state is required to have an Ombudsman Program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long term care system. To find the ombudsman nearest you, contact your State Ombudsman office.

Alabama
Ms. Marie Tomlin
State LTC Ombudsman
Alabama Commission on Aging
770 Washington Avenue
RSA Plaza, Suite 470
Montgomery, AL 36130
(334)242-5743
FAX: (334)242-3862

Alaska
Kim Kline
State LTC Ombudsman
Older Alaskans Commission
3601 C Street Suite 260
Anchorage, AK 99503-5209
In Anchorage: 269-5290
In
Juneau: 465-4970
Elsewhere in Alaska: 1-800-478-2624
Out of State: 907-269-5290

Arizona
Catherine Hannen
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Aging and Adult Administration
Department of Economic Security
1789 West Jefferson – 950A
Phoenix, AZ 85007
(602) 542-4446
FAX: (602) 682-8706

Arkansas
Alice Ahart
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Arkansas Division of Aging & Adult Services
P.O. Box 1437, Slot 1412
Little Rock, AR 72201-1437
(501) 682-2441
FAX: (501) 682-8155

California
Ms. Beth A. Mann
State LTC Ombudsman
CA Department on Aging
1600 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95814 Work:
(916)323-6681 FAX:
(916)323-7299

Colorado
Virginia Fraser & Jan Meyers
State Long-Term Care Ombudsmen
The Legal Center
455 Sherman St. Suite 130
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 722-0300 Ext. 217
FAX: (303) 722-0720

Connecticut
Teresa Cusano
Acting State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Department on Aging
25 Sigourney Street – 10th Floor
Hartford, CT 06106-5033
(860) 424-5200 ext. 5221
FAX: (860) 424-4966

Delaware
Mr. Tim Hoyle State
LTC Ombudsman
Division of Services for Aging & Adults
1901 North Dupont Highway
Main Admin. Bldg. Annex
New Castle, DE 19720
(302)577-4791
FAX: (302)577-4793

District of Columbia
Beverly Bryant
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman :AARP –
Legal Counsel for the Elderly
601 E Street, N.W., 4th Fl., Bldg. A
Washington, DC 20049
(202)434-2140
FAX: (202) 434-6424

Florida
Steve Rachin, Esquire
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Florida State LTC Ombudsman Council
600 South Calhoun Street Suite 270
Tallahassee, FL 32301
(850) 488-6190 FAX:
(850) 488-5657

Georgia
Becky Kurtz, Esquire
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Division of Aging Services
2 Peachtree St. NW, Suite 36-233
Atlanta, GA 30303-3142
(888) 454-5826 FAX:
(404) 463-8384

Hawaii
John McDermott
State LTC Care Ombudsman
Executive Office on Aging
Office of the Governor
250 South Hotel Street Suite 109
Honolulu, HI 96813-2831
(808) 586-0100
FAX: (808) 586-0185

Idaho
Cathy Hart
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Idaho Commission on Aging
P.O. Box 83720 3380
American Terrace, Suite 1
Boise, ID 83720-0007
(208) 334-3833
FAX: (208) 334-3033

Illinois
Beverly Rowley & Nenya Johnson
State Long-Term Care Ombudsmen
Illinois Department on Aging
421 E. Capitol Ave., Suite 100
Springfield, IL 62701-1789
(217) 785-3143
FAX: (217) 524-9644

Indiana
Arlene Franklin
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Indiana Div. of Aging & Reha. Services
402 W. Washington St., I
ndianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 232-7134
FAX: (317) 232-7867

Iowa
Ms. Debi Meyers
State LTC Ombudsman
Iowa Department of Elder Affairs
Clemens Building
200 10th Street Des Moines,
IA 50309-3609
(515)281-8643
FAX: (515)281-4036

Kansas
Mr. Matthew Hickam
State LTC Ombudsman
Kansas Office of the State
LTC Ombudsman Program
610 SW 10th Street, 2nd FL
Topeka, KS 66612-1616
(785)296-3017
FAX: (785)296-3916

Kentucky
Brenda Rice
State Long-Care Ombudsman
Division of Family/Children Services
275 E.Main St., 5th Floor
Frankfort, KY 40621
(502) 564-6930
FAX: (502) 564-4595

Louisiana
Linda Sadden
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Louisiana Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs
412 N. 4th Street, 3rd Floor
P.O. Box 80374
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
(225)342-7100
FAX: (225)342-7144

Maine
Brenda Gallant
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Maine State Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
1 Weston Court
P.O. Box 128
Augusta, ME 04332
(207)621-1079
FAX: (207)621-0509

Maryland
Ms. Patricia Bayliss
State LTC Ombudsman
Maryland State Department of Aging
301 W. Preston Street Room 1007
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410)767-1074
FAX: (410)333-7943

Massachusetts
Mary McKenna
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Executive Office of Elder Affairs
1 Ashburton Place, 5th floor
Boston, MA 02108-1518
(617) 727-7750 FAX:
(617) 727-9368

Michigan
Marguerette Schervish
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Citizens for Better Care
4750 Woodward Ave. Suite 410
Detroit, MI 48201-3908
(313) 832-6387
FAX: (313) 832-7407

Minnesota
Sharon Zoesch
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Office of Ombudsman for Older Minnesotans
121 East Seventh Place Suite 410
St. Paul, MN 55101
(651) 296-0382
FAX: (651) 297-5654

Mississippi
Ms. Aniece McLemore
State LTC Ombudsman
Mississippi Division of Aging/Adult Services
750 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39202
(601)359-4929
FAX: (601)359-4970

Missouri
Carol Scott
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Division on Aging Department of Social Services
P.O. Box 1337
Jefferson City, MO 65102-1337
(800) 309-3282
FAX: (573) 751-8687

Montana
Ms. Robin Homan
State LTC Ombudsman
Montana Department of Health & Human Services
Senior & LTC Division
P.O. Box 4210 111
Sanders Helena, MT 59604-4210
(406)444-4077
FAX: (406)444-7743

Nebraska
Cindy Kadavy
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Health and Human Service System
Division of Aging Services
P.O. Box 95044 301
Centennial Mall-South
Lincoln, NE 68509-5044
(402) 471-2307
FAX: (402) 471-4619

Nevada
Gilda Johnstone
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Division for Aging Services
445 Apple Street, # 104
Reno, NV 89502
(702) 486-3545
FAX: (702) 486-3572

New Hampshire
Judith Griffin
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Division of Elderly & Adult Services
129 Pleasant St.,
Concord, NH 03301-3857
(603) 271-4375
FAX: (603) 271-4771

New Jersey
William Isele
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
for Institutionalized Elderly
P.O.Box 807
Trenton, NJ 08625-0807
(609) 588-3614
Fax (609) 588-3365

New Mexico
Mr. Agapito Silva
State LTC Ombudsman
New Mexico State Agency on Aging
1410 San Pedro NE
Albuquerque, NM 87110
(505)255-0971
FAX: (505)255-5602

New York
Faith Fish
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Office for the Aging
2 Empire State Plaza Agency Bldg. #2
Albany, NY 12223-0001
(518) 474-0108
FAX: (518) 474-7761

North Carolina
Wendy Sause
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Division of Aging
2101 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-2101
(919) 733-8395 FAX:
(919) 715-0868

North Dakota
Helen Funk
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Aging Services Division
Department of Human Services
600 South 2nd Street Suite 1C
Bismarck, ND 58504
(701) 328-8910
FAX: (701) 328-8989

Ohio
Beverley Laubert
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Department of Aging
50 West Broad Street 9th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-3363
(614) 644-7922
FAX: (614) 644-5201

Oklahoma
Esther Houser
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Aging Services Division Department of Human Services
312 N.E. 28th Street Suite 109
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(405) 521- 6734
FAX: (405) 521-2086

Oregon
Meredith A. Cote, Esquire
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Office of the Long Term Care Ombudsman
3855 Wolverine NE Suite 6
Salem, OR 97305-1251
(503) 378-6533
FAX: (503) 373-0852

Pennsylvania
Cynthia F. Boyne
State LTC Ombudsman
Pennsylvania Department of Aging
555 Walnut Street, 5th Floor
P.O. Box 1089
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717)783-7247
FAX: (717)783-3382

Puerto Rico
Norma Venegas
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Governor’s Office for Elder Affairs
Call Box 50063
Old San Juan Station
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00902
(787)725-1515
FAX: (787)721-6510

Rhode Island
Roberta Hawkins
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Alliance for Better Long Term Care
422 Post Road Suite 204
Warwick, RI 02888
(401) 785-3340 FAX:
(401) 785-3391

South Carolina
Jon Cook State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Division on Aging
1801 Main St. P.O. Box 8206
Columbia, SC 29202-8206
(803) 898-2580
FAX: (803) 898-4513

South Dakota
Jeff Askew
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Office of Adult Services and Aging
700 Governors Drive
Pierre, SD 57501-2291
(605) 773-3656
FAX: (605) 773-6834

Tennessee
Adrian D. Wheeler
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Commission on Aging
Andrew Jackson Building,
500 Deaderick Street 9th Floor
Nashville, TN 37243-0860
(615) 741-2056
FAX: (615) 741-3309

Texas
John Willis
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Department on Aging
4900 North Lamar Blvd. 4th Floor
P.O. Box 12786
Austin, TX 78751-2316
(512) 424-6840
FAX: (512) 424-6890

Utah
Chad McNiven
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Divison of Aging & Adult Services
Department of Social Services
120 North, 200 West, Room 401
Salt Lake City, UT 84103
(801) 538-3924
FAX: (801) 538-4395

Vermont
Ms. Jacqueline Majoros, Esquire
State LTC Ombudsman
Vermont Legal Aid, Inc.
264 N. Winooski
P.O. Box 1367
Burlington, VT 05402
(802)863-5620
FAX: (802)863-7152

Virginia
Mark Miller
State Long Term Care Ombudsman
Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging
530 East Main Street, Suite 428
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 644-2923
FAX: (804) 644-5640

Washington
Kary Hyre
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
South King County Multi-Service Center
1200 South 336th Street
P.O. Box 23699
Federal Way, WA 98093
(253)838-6810
FAX: (253)874-7831

West Virginia
Mr. Larry Medley
State LTC Ombudsman
West Virginia Commission on Aging
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East Bldg.
#10 Hall, Grove
Charleston, WV 25309
(304)558-3317
FAX: 304-558-0004

Wisconsin
George Potaracke
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Board on Aging and Long Term Care
214 North Hamilton Street
Madison, WI 53703-2118
(608) 266-8945 Ext. DIR
FAX: (608) 261-6570

Wyoming
Deborah Alden
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Wyoming Senior Citizens, Inc.
756 Gilchrist
P.O.Box 94
Wheatland, WY 82201
(307) 322-5553
FAX: (307) 322-3283

Author

  • Ms. Mitchell began her full-time caregiving experience in the early eighties when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. Later on she became the primary caregiver for her father, along with her mother who had become critically ill from burnout prior to her dad’s passing. In recent years, she cared for several friends with AIDS while continuing to care for her mother and actively providing support, information, referrals and resources for caregivers.

    Gail's leadership on the Internet and her success with Empowering Caregivers led her to found National Organization For Empowering Caregivers (NOFEC) INC in 2001.

    Prior to founding NOFEC, she created the iVillageHealth Chat: Empowering Caregivers, which she hosted for over 5 years. Within a month of hosting she created Empowering Caregivers: www.care-givers.com in 1999 as a resource for caregivers around the globe. Over three million visitors have frequented the website.

    She has presented at national and international care-related conferences and programs and has been a keynote speaker for many programs as well.

    Ms Mitchell has assisted thousands of caregivers online and offline in ways to empower themselves in their roles in caring for loved ones.

    For a list of clients and/or her resume, please contact info@care-givers.com

    Gail's articles have been published in many venues nationally and in Canada. Presently, she is a member of American Society on Aging and National Quality Caregivers Coalition.

    Gail has discovered that there is life after caregiving: She has become a successful ceramic artist and installation artist. She created Crystal Illumination Art to bring the transformative quality of illumination, light and color to the human experience and celebrate its ability to inspire, heal and nourish our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being.