Yes. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is a free, independent advocacy service - there is no cost to contact Suffolk's coordinator (631-470-6755), Nassau's coordinator (516-466-9718), or the statewide hotline (1-855-582-6769). The program is publicly funded and administratively housed within the NY State Office for the Aging specifically so it can operate independently of the facilities it may be investigating.
How this actually works
For families already stretched financially by a parent's care costs, it matters that advocacy through the Ombudsman program doesn't add another expense on top of assisted living or nursing home bills. Because the program is structured to be independent, funded through the state and administered through NYSOFA rather than through the facilities themselves, and delivered locally on Long Island through the nonprofit sponsors Family Service League in Suffolk and Family and Children's Association in Nassau, a resident or family member can raise a concern without worrying about the ombudsman having a conflict of interest tied to the facility's own management or ownership. This is different from, say, hiring an elder law attorney to resolve a dispute, which does carry a cost; the Ombudsman is meant to be a no-cost first line of advocacy before a family needs to consider that kind of formal or legal escalation.
Related questions
- Who is the Long-Term Care Ombudsman for Suffolk County, and what do they do?
- Who is the Long-Term Care Ombudsman for Nassau County?
- What's the statewide hotline if I don't know who my local Long-Term Care Ombudsman is?
- What kinds of problems should I bring to the Ombudsman versus reporting to Adult Protective Services?
