The Long-Term Care Ombudsman provides a voice for consumers of long-term care services in nursing homes, county homes, residential care facilities, adult care facilities, adult foster homes, and in private residences. They seek to identify, verify, and resolve concerns regarding quality of lie and quality of care in these settings. They work with long-term care consumers, families, as well as staff and administrations of long-term care providers to resolve complaints in an objective, unbiased, confidential manner. They answer requests for information regarding rights and choices in long-term care matters. They work to educate consumers, staff, and the general public on the rights of consumers of long-term care.

Long-term care consumers are those who reside in nursing homes, county homes, residential care facilities, adult care facilities, and adult foster homes, and those residing in their own home receiving home- and community-based care services regardless of age. Anyone may call or write the Long-Term Care Ombudsman to talk about a concern they may have. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman will handle the concern in a confidential manner. The staff provide advocacy, education, mediation, negotiation, and empowerment to resolve the concern. In this client-driven system, the client directs the Long-Term Care Ombudsman as to how far to proceed with their investigation.