JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $100,000 TO THE RHODE ISLAND OFFICE OF HEALTHY AGING FOR THE ALLIANCE FOR BETTER LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM (Authorizes the appropriation of the sum of $100,000 to the Rhode Island Office Of Healthy Aging for the RI Long-Term Care Ombudsman program.)

Plain-English Summary

This bill would direct $100,000 in state funding to the Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging to support the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, which is run by an organization called the Alliance for Better Long-Term Care. An ombudsman is essentially an independent advocate — someone who investigates complaints and speaks up on behalf of people who may not be able to fully advocate for themselves.

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program specifically works to protect the rights and wellbeing of people living in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other long-term care settings. Ombudsmen visit these facilities, listen to residents' concerns, investigate complaints about care quality or mistreatment, and work to resolve problems. This funding would help keep that program running and staffed.

This bill would primarily affect Rhode Island residents who live in long-term care facilities, as well as their families. It also affects the staff and volunteers of the Alliance for Better Long-Term Care who carry out this work. The $100,000 appropriation would come from state funds and has been referred to the House Finance Committee, which will review it before it moves further through the legislative process.