What Does the Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long-Term Care Do?

The Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long-Term Care is a state agency that the Wisconsin legislature created in 1981. The main purpose of the agency is to advise the Governor and the Wisconsin state legislature about the different issues that are important to aging Wisconsin citizens, or those who are over the age of 60. The agency also serves as a home for the Long Term Care Ombudsman program and the Medigap Helpline. This Board is designed to protect the interests of senior citizens who live in long-term care facilities.

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program allows long-term care residents to express concerns or make complaints about their treatment and care. There is no cost to contact the Ombudsman and these services are available in all of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. All complaints and reports are kept confidential by the Ombudsman, so the complaining party will have no fear of reprisal or repercussions from making a complaint. The Ombudsman deals only with complaints relating to long-term managed care.

The types of complaints and concerns that the Long-Term Ombudsman handles include:

• Violations of rights
• Concerns about treatment and care while in a long-term care facility
• Questions about guardianships and advance directives
• Concerns about decision makers, such as people holding powers of attorney
• Choosing a residential care setting
• Accessing local resources like Aging and Disability Resource Centers or Adult Protective services
• Accessing other community supports, such as the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Alliance and the National Association for the Mentally Ill

You can contact the Ombudsman serving your area by telephone, email, or in person. There are services available for non-English speakers, as well

You entrust your loved one to a long-term care facility so that he or she is properly cared for. When that facility fails to provide your loved one with an even basic level of reasonable care, it is likely that negligence occurred, which may make that facility liable for the resulting injuries. If you find yourself in this situation, you may be entitled to compensation for the losses that you or your family member has suffered. Call our Wisconsin nursing home abuse attorneys at Boller & Vaughan and learn what we can do for you and your family.