Make a Difference as a Volunteer Ombudsman
Volunteer Ombudsmen provide an essential service to some of our most vulnerable people. They bring lifetimes of expertise from various careers, transforming these skills into education, empowerment and advocacy. They serve as vital mediators between facility residents and their care teams to identify complaints and concerns, monitor care, investigate complaints, enable problem solving and more.
Volunteer Ombudsmen in Action
Learn more about what volunteer ombudsmen do for long-term care residents.
About the Volunteer Position
Certified Ombudsmen volunteers are resident advocates who identify, investigate, and resolve complaints in order to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of individuals who live in nursing homes, adult care facilities and assisted living facilities.
Volunteers are appointed by the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman and report directly to the Coordinator of their assigned region.
*Note: Employees of Long Term Care Facilities are not eligible to become Long Term Care Ombudsmen, per federal regulation.
- Duties
- Visit with residents and work to identify complaints and concerns.
- Monitor resident care, staffing and building conditions.
- Investigate complaints.
- Work with facility staff to correct problems, using a continuum of problem resolution and advocacy skills.
- Report all apparent cases of abuse to the regional Program Coordinator and Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) State Office as required by program policy and procedure.
- Submit required documentation at least monthly.
- Maintain ongoing communication with regional program staff.
- Promote respect and rapport between residents, facility staff and Ombudsman program.
- Inform and educate residents, families and facility staff about resident rights.
- Maintain confidentiality as required by law.
- Qualifications and Skills
- 18 years of age or older and must pass a background check.
- Strong observation, communication and problem-solving skills.
- Dependable and reliable.
- Adequate transportation to visit facilities.
- Training
- 36 hours of initial certification training including classroom, homework and facility visits.
- 18 hours of continuing education annually to maintain certification.
- Time Commitment
- Minimum of 10 hours per month, including facility visits, monthly training meetings and completing paperwork.
- Nursing homes, adult care facilities, and assisted living facilities are visited weekly.
- Benefits
- Improve the quality of care for residents in long-term care in your community.
- Ability to make a personal, direct, immediate positive impact for others.
- Develop knowledge and expertise on navigating long-term care systems.
- Free training, support from regional program staff.
- Gain valuable work or career experience.
- Increase or develop public speaking, advocacy and conflict resolution skills.
- Annual recognition and training events, monthly continuing education opportunities.
Volunteer Spotlight Series
The Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) has been meeting with some of the many volunteers who donate their time to help residents of nursing homes, assisted living, and other long term care facilities. Learn more about the work they do in their own words.
Region 4 held their annual Ombudsman Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on 10/30/25 at Harvest on Hudson in Hastings-On-Hudson, NY.
Region 13 celebrated on 9/16/25 during their annual Ombudsman Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at the Locust Hill Country Club in Pittsford, NY.
Region 15 celebrated their annual Ombudsman Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on 9/10/26 at the Barrel Factory in Buffalo, NY.
Volunteer Ombudsmen of the Year Celebrating Exceptional Volunteer Advocacy
Each year, two exceptional volunteers are honored for their dedication to advocating for long-term care residents.