The local long-term care ombudsman
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman investigates and helps resolve complaints on behalf of nursing home and assisted living residents and advocates for resident rights. It is free, independent of any facility, and acts only with the resident's consent.
Tarrant County is served by the Area Agency on Aging of Tarrant County's Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, a United Way of Tarrant County program, at 201 N. Rupert St., Suite 107, Fort Worth, TX 76107 (817-258-8000). Families outside Tarrant County -- in Parker, Johnson, Denton or Wise County -- should use the statewide Texas Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman line at 800-252-2412 to be routed to the NCTCOG-area program instead.
One rule surprises a lot of adult children: an ombudsman acts only with the consent of the resident or their legal representative. If a parent has capacity and does not want a complaint pursued, that decision stands, even where family disagrees with it.
Reporting abuse or neglect
Texas Adult Protective Services runs a single statewide 24-hour hotline rather than county offices -- the same number applies across Fort Worth, Arlington, Burleson and every other city in this metro. A facility's own regulatory conduct is reported separately to HHSC.
| Concern | Who to call | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| A person's safety (abuse, neglect, self-neglect, exploitation) | Texas Abuse Hotline (statewide APS) | 1-800-252-5400 |
| A licensed facility's conduct (staffing, conditions, procedures) | HHSC Complaint and Incident Intake | 1-800-458-9858 |
| Immediate danger | Emergency services | 911 |
Both lines accept reports 24 hours a day, and reports to the Texas Abuse Hotline can be made anonymously. The two systems are complementary, not exclusive -- a situation touching on both a person's safety and a facility's regulatory compliance can, and should, be reported to both.
Which one to call
The long-term care ombudsman and the state health regulator do different jobs, and using one does not preclude the other. The ombudsman advocates for a resident and can attend a care conference with you, but does not license, inspect or fine a facility. The state regulator investigates regulatory complaints and can take enforcement action, but is not an advocate for an individual resident's preferences the way an ombudsman is.
The consent rule
An ombudsman acts only with the consent of the resident or their legal representative. This surprises adult children. If a parent has capacity and does not want a complaint pursued, that decision stands, even where family disagrees with it.
