The local long-term care ombudsman
Staten Island falls under the New York City region (Region 3) of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, sponsored by the Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY), a five-borough/citywide program.
| Organization | CIDNY Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program |
|---|---|
| Address | 1010 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 301, New York, NY 10018 |
| Program line | 1-888-855-9807 |
| ltcop@cidny.org | |
| Statewide hotline | 1-855-582-6769 |
The ombudsman is free, independent, and acts only with the consent of the resident or their legal representative -- it advocates for a resident, but does not license, inspect or fine a facility.
Source: CIDNY Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Reporting abuse or neglect
Unlike a county-by-county Department of Social Services model, New York City's Adult Protective Services is centralized under the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA), Office of Special Services. Staten Island's borough APS office can be reached at (929) 221-8794. The citywide DSS-OneNumber referral line -- all five boroughs -- is (718) 557-1399, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm (say "APS" when prompted). If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
The facility complaint line is separate from APS -- for an Adult Care Facility, call NYSDOH's Metropolitan Area Regional Office at (212) 417-5990; for a nursing home, (212) 417-4999 or the statewide nursing-home hotline 1-888-201-4563.
Source: NYC HRA Adult Protective Services
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.
