Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass, Inc.

The Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass is an independent, nonprofit agency headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. We envision a world where aging & disability come with value, ease, dignity, & hope. Our mission is to demand the highest quality of care for long-term care residents through empowerment, support, education, & advocacy.

NHOA was founded in 1981 by citizens concerned about conditions in nursing homes. They organized to provide advocacy services to residents using the federal Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program as the authorizing framework & model.

Today, NHOA’s Bluegrass District Ombudsman Program is a nationally-recognized program serving more than 6,900 long-term care residents in 17 central Kentucky counties. NHOA employs a corps of 25 Certified Ombudsmen who visit residents, monitor the quality of care, & provide comprehensive advocacy services. These ombudsmen are responsible for advocating on behalf of nursing home, personal care home, assisted living community, & family care home residents. Ombudsmen work to:

• Visit residents as often as possible


• Protect the rights of residents


• Identify, investigate, & resolve residents' concerns


• Empower residents & families to make informed choices


• Inform the public of issues in long-term care


• Enact laws protecting older & disabled Kentuckians

Residents often have complex medical needs & experience a loss of independence when they move into these care homes.

• 50% of residents have some form of dementia


• 60% of residents have no visitors outside of the Ombudsman program


• 70% of residents are using Medicaid to pay for their care, leaving them just $60 per month for their personal needs


• 80% of residents are women

Your donation keeps an advocate at the bedside of Kentucky's most vulnerable residents. Thank you for your commitment to improve their quality of care and quality of life!

Testimonials

I just wanted to express how important it is for me to have an
Ombudsman. I am a 35-year-old man, who recently had a stroke and am now
unable to move any part of my body. However, my mind is clear and I am
fortunately still able to speak.

My Ombudsman Becky was there for me when no one else was. Just to name a
few instances, I have had to call her because I wasn't being fed, I had
a roommate that was threatening to harm me, my call light wasn't being
answered for hours and aids would never come in my room when they were
on duty.

I can call Becky any time, 24 hours a day, and she will make sure my
needs are met. Becky is the only person I can count on. She knows how to
get things done and has made a tremendous difference in my life.
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I wanted to let you know that Dad passed away this past Wednesday. You
guys were so compassionate and instrumental when we were struggling with
his care at the nursing home, and getting him to the VA. They were
wonderful to him there, but he came down with the flu and pneumonia a
few weeks ago and was in the hospital for a week. He wouldn't eat or
drink much after that, and ended up back in the hospital again with
bilateral pneumonia and septic shock a week ago. We switched to comfort
care only on Monday night and he passed away two days later. He was an
extraordinary man and fought to the last.

I could not have been more impressed with the work you do and the heart
with which you do it. I can't thank you enough for the kindness and
diligence you showed our family. You ensured a wonderful outcome in a
difficult situation. Some of the most vulnerable in our area are
blessed to have you on their side.

Who We Are

The mission of the Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass (NHOA) is to improve the quality of care for residents of long-term care facilities.