Duties of the state ombudsman; independence

(b) The state ombudsman shall, personally or through representatives of the office, perform the following duties: (1) Identify, investigate, resolve, or attempt to resolve complaints by or on behalf of residents and clients. (2) Provide services to protect the health, safety, welfare, and rights of residents, including, but not limited to: (A) Information and referral services. (B) Education and training for residents, their family members, staff of long term care facilities, and the public. These services may be provided by dissemination of written information, presentations, workshops, individual meetings with residents or their family members, or any other appropriate means. (3) Inform residents, family members, long term care facility staff, and the public about ombudsman program services, how residents can access those services, or how services can be accessed on behalf of residents. (4) Inform residents about the means of obtaining services provided through providers of long term care services or their representatives, public agencies, and health and social service agencies. (5) Ensure that residents statewide have regular and timely access to representatives of the office through resident visits. (6) Ensure that complainants, clients, and residents receive timely responses to complaints and requests for assistance. (7) Advocate on behalf of residents in the following nonexclusive ways: (A) Identify problems affecting residents at the facility, local, state, or national levels and attempt to resolve those problems. (B) Identify problems in the long term care system and advocate for changes to that system. (C) Represent the interests of residents before governmental agencies. (D) Analyze, comment on, provide public testimony, and monitor the development and implementation of proposed or existing federal, state, and local laws, regulations, government policies, and actions that affect residents. (E) Facilitate public comment. (8) Seek administrative, legal, and other remedies to protect the health, safety, welfare, and rights of residents. (9) Designate and dedesignate local ombudsman entities and representatives of the office in accordance with this rule. (10) Consult in the development of the contract between the division and the local ombudsman entity regarding that portion of any contract related to the ombudsman program. (11) Direct the program related activities of the local ombudsmen in consultation with the local ombudsman entity. The state ombudsman shall, in consultation with the local ombudsman entity, provide oversight to the work of the local ombudsmen. (12) Provide administrative and technical assistance to representatives of the office and local ombudsman entities. (13) Monitor and evaluate the activities and performance of representatives of the office and local ombudsman entities in accordance with this rule. (14) Consult with the following agencies or programs: (A) The Indiana department of health. (B) The adult protective services program. (C) The Indiana protection and advocacy services. (D) Other state agencies and programs whose duties and services affect residents. (15) Provide technical support for the development and maintenance of resident and family councils. (16) Promote the development of citizen organizations to participate in the program. (17) Prepare an annual report in accordance with the Older Americans Act. (18) Ensure that the confidentiality of program records is maintained in accordance with this rule. (19) Identify duties to be performed by volunteer ombudsmen in consultation with the local ombudsman, local ombudsman entity, and the division. (20) Perform other duties the federal commissioner on aging determines to be appropriate.

(c) The state ombudsman shall report directly to the director of the state unit on aging. The state ombudsman shall be independent in all actions, but shall consult with the director of the state unit on aging or his or her designee to ensure identification and resolution of agency-wide issues, programmatic and fiscal integrity, and coordination of efforts.