Our Mission is to actively promote standards of excellence in advocacy and enhancement of the quality of life for residents of long-term care facilities in the county.

Our Vision: The long-term care facilities in our county are the best in the country and reflect the high standards of resident-centered care

Our three key Values are to cherish our Ombudsmen, to fully and faithfully empower our clients, and to positively work with all community stakeholders

When faced with failing health, either yours or that of a family member, the optimal choice, in most cases, is to provide in-home care. The community provides extensive resources to enable families and individuals to set this up to your best advantage. Starting with the physician's assessment, you can begin to formulate the needs of the person to be cared for. The following websites might prove to be valuable as you seek the community resources you may need:

www.caregiver.org
www.alznorcal.org
www.networkofcare.org

In addition you might want to call the County's Aging and Adult Services to ask for a very useful booklet entitled "Help At Home." (Aging and Adult Services, Phone: 650 573 3900)

Transitioning from In-Home Care to Long-term Care
In-home care may not be appropriate or possible for all individuals. It may be that circumstances have changed and you are no longer able to cope with care at home. You may now have to consider placement in a long-term care facility. While ombudsman programs are not permitted to recommend one facility over another, we can certainly help you to narrow your choices. And better yet, we can educate you on what to look for when you are visiting a facility for potential placement. When seeking a facility, we highly recommend that your first action is to call your local ombudsman program (in San Mateo: 650 349 7008).

There are many issues to consider when seeking placement for a loved one. While this is certainly a time to be focused on the person needing placement, you should not lose sight of your own needs at this time. Do you have a network of support? Engage other family members to work through the decision process with you, and if appropriate include close friends (especially in the absence of other family members). Don't forget to include your loved one in the process if it is at all possible. Be aware that your loved one will probably go through an adjustment period. He/she is suffering many losses at the time of placement. Engage with your local ombudsman for help in monitoring progress at this time. But again, do not lose sight of your own emotional needs. You, too, will be suffering many losses. You may be suffering through some or a combination of guilt, resentment, shame, sorrow, loss of purpose. Remember you are still a caregiver -- though there will be a distinct shift in that role. The websites listed above could be helpful to you in this transition stage, in addition to your local ombudsman program.

Transitioning Out Of a Facility
There are of course many reasons for a person to discharge from long-term care. The best scenario is for individuals to make sufficient progress to the point they may no longer need care. The Supreme Court's recent Olmstead Decision determined that individuals have the right to live in the least restrictive environment. For some this has opened the door to enable them to transition out of nursing homes into facilities that provide a lesser level of care, or even into group homes or back into the community. Whatever the reason for making the transition, your local ombudsman can work with the resident or their families to ensure that plans are in place for a safe discharge.