- [Narrator] NPT Reports, Aging matters.

(light inquisitive music) - Hi, I'm Quiteka Moten, I have the pleasure of serving as the Tennessee State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.

(gentle piano music) Elder abuse can happen anywhere, to anyone, at any time.

When they happen in long-term care facilities, as ombudsman, we go in as by-the-bedside advocates to ensure that someone is listening to the residents.

We're not necessarily there to determine whether or not it happened, we're there to hear from the resident, listen to what they have to say and see what's going on with them.

We also ensure that the appropriate reporting was done for residents, and this is particularly important if a resident is not able to articulate for themselves.

- [Receptionist] We have to do like an intake interview and a mental status exam.

- For a long-term care setting, has three different types here in Tennessee, and they're all licensed facilities.

So we have our skilled nursing facilities or nursing homes, our assisted livings, and our residential homes for the aging.

My role is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of residents in long-term care facilities, licensed facilities.

When abuse occurs in nursing facilities, be it sexual, psychological, or physical, there are a number of different ways that we can employ tactics and working to restore residents that can look like ensuring that the facility is safe.

Are there people coming in and out that shouldn't be in the facility?

Are they reporting things as they happen?

Oftentimes, we refer out to a number of agencies.

This can be APS, this can be CREVAA, this can be Department of Health to ensure that the resident's safety and wellbeing has been met.

There are a number of ways to reach out to the Tennessee Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.

For our residents, we have posters in every facility throughout Tennessee.

They can call either the statewide number, 1-877-236-0013 or make contact using any of the local numbers found on posters.

We work to restore these residents to the best of our abilities and know that you can contact us.

We will not write you off.

We are here to help.

We are here to be by-the-bedside advocates because these are human beings, right?

And their long-term care facility is their home.

And so that's what we're here to do, is uphold the fact that they have rights as residents and everyone deserves for their home to be a safe and secure environment.

(gentle music)