Office of the State Long-term Care Ombudsman Program

Annual Report Summary: FY2023

One Ashburton Place Boston, MA 02108

State data for MA for FFY 2023
Case and Complaints Summary Complaint Type by Facility Type Organizational Structure
Staff and Volunteers Funds Expended
Facility - Number and Capacity Facility - RCC
Program Activities

State data for MA for FFY 2023					
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Case and Complaints Summary					
Total number of cases closed:	2342		
Totals Cases per Complainant by Facility Setting	
Complainant	Nursing Facility	Residential Care
Community	Other	Total per complainant	
Resident	1497	107	0	1604	
Resident representative, friend, family	430	146	0	576	
Ombudsman program	89	4	0	93	
Facility staff	12	5	0	17	
Representative of other agency or program	29	12	0	41	
Concerned person	0	0	0	0	
Resident or family council	6	3	0	9	
Unknown	1	1	0	2	
Total per facility type	2064	278	0	2342	

Total number of complaints:	3426		
Major Complaint Groups by Type of Facility	
Complaint Category/Type	Nursing Facility	Residential Care
Community	Other	Total by Complaint
Type	
A. Abuse, gross neglect, exploitation	36	30	0	66	
B. Access to Information	100	8	0	108	
C. Admission, transfer, discharge, eviction	222	39	0	261	
D. Autonomy, choice, rights	414	64	0	478	
E. Financial, property	220	39	0	259	
F. Care	1130	112	0	1242	
G. Activities and community integration and social services	239	20	0	259	
H. Dietary	264	18	0	282	
I. Environment	270	42	0	312	
J. Facility policies, procedures and practices	59	10	0	69	
K. Complaints about an outside agency (non-facility)	8	1	0	9	
L. System and others (non-facility)	73	8	0	81	
Complaint Verifications	
Verification Status	Nursing Facility	Residential
Care Community	Other	Total	
Verified	2762	282	0	3044	

Not Verified	273	109	0	382	
Complaint Dispositions	
Disposition Status	Nursing Facility	Residential
Care Community	Other	Total	
Partially or fully resolved to the satisfaction of the resident,
resident representative or complainant	1984	195	0	2179	
Withdrawn or no action needed by the resident, resident
representative or complainant	858	157	0	1015	
Not resolved to the satisfaction of the resident, resident
representative or complainant	193	39	0	232	

State data for MA for FFY 2023
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Complaint Types by Type of Facility
Complaint Category/Type	Nursing Facility	Residential Care
Community	Other	Total by Complaint
Type	
A. Abuse, gross neglect, exploitation	36	30	0	66	
A01. Abuse: physical	18	13	0	31	
A02. Abuse: sexual	3	2	0	5	
A03. Abuse: psychological	6	3	0	9	
A04. Financial exploitation	8	3	0	11	
A05. Gross neglect	1	9	0	10	
B. Access to Information	100	8	0	108	
B01. Access to information and records	91	7	0	98	
B02. Language and communication barrier	9	1	0	10	
B03. Willful interference	0	0	0	0	
C. Admission, transfer, discharge, eviction	222	39	0	261	
C01. Admission	5	2	0	7	
C02. Appeal process	4	1	0	5	
C03. Discharge or eviction	129	31	0	160	
C04. Room issues	84	5	0	89	
D. Autonomy, choice, rights	414	64	0	478	
D01. Choice in health care	29	6	0	35	
D02. Live in less restrictive setting	123	5	0	128	
D03. Dignity and respect	128	22	0	150	
D04. Privacy	21	7	0	28	
D05. Response to complaints	13	3	0	16	
D06. Retaliation	2	5	0	7	
D07. Visitors	17	5	0	22	
D08. Resident or family council	2	1	0	3	
D09. Other rights and preferences	79	10	0	89	
E. Financial, property	220	39	0	259	
E01. Billing and charges	51	22	0	73	
E02. Personal property	169	17	0	186	

Complaint Category/Type	Nursing Facility	Residential
Care Community	Other	Total by Complaint
Type	
F. Care	1130	112	0	1242	
F01. Accidents and falls	33	8	0	41	
F02. Response to requests for assistance	183	16	0	199	
F03. Care planning	70	25	0	95	
F04. Medications	163	22	0	185	
F05. Personal hygiene	139	9	0	148	
F06. Access to health related services	115	3	0	118	
F07. Symptoms unattended	122	11	0	133	
F08. Incontinence care	44	5	0	49	
F09. Assistive devices or equipment	127	6	0	133	
F10. Rehabilitation services	120	1	0	121	
F11. Physical restraint	1	1	0	2	
F12. Chemical restraint	2	1	0	3	
F13. Infection control	11	4	0	15	
G. Activities and community integration and social
services	239	20	0	259	
G01. Activities	75	12	0	87	
G02. Transportation	15	0	0	15	
G03. Conflict resolution	49	7	0	56	
G04. Social services	100	1	0	101	
H. Dietary	264	18	0	282	
H01. Food services	161	14	0	175	
H02. Dining and hydration	51	3	0	54	
H03. Therapeutic or special diet	52	1	0	53	
I. Environment	270	42	0	312	
I01. Environment	80	17	0	97	
I02. Building structure	32	7	0	39	
I03. Supplies, storage and furnishings	80	5	0	85	
I04. Accessibility	15	2	0	17	
I05. Housekeeping, laundry and pest abatement	63	11	0	74	
J. Facility policies, procedures and practices	59	10	0	69	
J01. Administrative oversight	6	6	0	12	
J02. Fiscal management	3	0	0	3	
J03. Staffing	50	4	0	54	

Complaint Category/Type	Nursing Facility	Residential
Care Community	Other	Total by Complaint
Type	
K. Complaints about an outside agency (non-facility)	8	1	0	9	
K01. Regulatory system	0	0	0	0	
K02. Medicaid	4	0	0	4	
K03. Managed care	1	0	0	1	
K04. Medicare	2	1	0	3	
K05. Veterans Affairs	1	0	0	1	
K06. Private Insurance	0	0	0	0	
L. System and others (non-facility)	73	8	0	81	
L01. Resident representative or family conflict	22	3	0	25	
L02. Services from outside provider	14	2	0	16	
L03. Request to transition to community setting	37	3	0	40	

State data for MA for FFY 2023
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Organizational Structure
Office of state LTCO location	Inside state government
Local Ombudsman Entity Location	Number of Ombudsman	
Area agency on aging (AAA) an area agency on aging designated under section 305(a)(2)(A) of the Older Americans Act or a State agency performing the functions of an area agency on aging under section 305(b)(5) of the OAA.	16	
Social services non-profit agency, with 501(c)(3) status, other than AAA	1	
Legal services provider	0	
Stand-alone local Ombudsman entity - a non-profit agency with 501(c)(3) status – the only program is the local Ombudsman entity	0	
Total number of entities	17	

State data for MA for FFY 2023
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Staff and Volunteers
Office of State Ombudsman Staff

Total staff	5	
Total full-time equivalent (FTE)	5	
Total state volunteer representatives	0	
Total hours donated by state volunteers representatives	
0	
Total other volunteers (not representatives)	0	

Total staff	36	
Total full-time equivalent (FTE)	30	
Total local volunteer representatives	199	
Total hours donated by local volunteer representatives	
15,797	
Total local volunteers (not representatives)	0	

Local Ombudsman Entity Staff

Hours

Hours

State data for MA for FFY 2023
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Funds Expended
Funds Expended from OAA Sources
Federal - OAA Title VII, Chapter 2, Ombudsman	$447,141	
Federal - OAA Title VII, Chapter 3	$0	
OAA Title III - State level	$300,000	
OAA Title III - AAA level	$1,230,316	
Other Federal Sources		
		
Total other Federal funds expended	$832,880	
Other State Sources		
State General Funds		
Total other State funds expended	$947,661	
Other Local Sources		
Private grants/funds		
Total other Local funds expended	$205,875	

State data for MA for FFY 2023
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Facility - Number and Capacity
Licensed Nursing Facilities
Total number	354	
Total resident capacity	41852	
Residential Care Communities
Total number	329	
Total resident capacity	23530	

State data for MA for FFY 2023
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Facility - Residential Care Community Information
RCC type	RCC type definition	Minimum RCC
capacity	Maximum RCC
capacity	

Assisted Living Residence

Rest Home

Any entity, however organized, whether conducted for profit or not for	3
profit, which meets all of the following criteria: a) provides room and
board; and b) provides, directly by its employees or through arrangements with another organization which the entity may or may not control or own, Personal Care Services for three or more adults who are not related by consanguinity or affinity to their care provider; and c) collects payments or third party reimbursements from or on behalf of Residents to pay for the provision of assistance with the Activities of Daily Living, or arranges for same. (651 CMR12.02)
A facility or units thereof that provides or arranges to provide in	3
addition to the minimum basic care and services required in 105 CMR
150.000, a supervised supportive and protective living environment and support services incident to old age for residents having difficulty in caring for themselves and who are ambulatory and do not require Level II or III nursing care or other medical related services on a routine basis.

State data for MA for FFY 2023
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Program Activities
Certifications and Training

Certification training hours	36	
Training hours required to maintain certification	24	
Number of new individuals completing certification
training	61	
Ombudsman Program Activities

Information and assistance to individuals	5288	
Community education	57	
Ombudsman Program Activities - Facilities

Hours Hours

Activity	Nursing Facility	Residential
Care Community	
Training sessions for facility staff	5	6	
Information and assistance to staff	1214	580	
Number of facilities that received one or more visits	369	329	
Number of visits for all facilities	12828	2510	
Number of facilities that received routine access	334	79	
Total participation in facility survey	519	14	
Resident council participation	195	15	
Family council participation	11	8