North Georgia Programs and Services Long-Term Care Ombudsman

🚨 LAST CALL! Only a few days left! 🚨

The Georgia Council on Aging is accepting CO-AGE issue submissions through May 31, 2026 to help shape the 2027 Legislative Session for older adults across Georgia.

See a need? Have an idea? Want to help create real change?

Your voice and lived experiences matter.

Help bring attention to the issues impacting older Georgians and strengthen advocacy, resources, and policies across our state.

🗓️ Deadline: May 31, 2026

Submit your issue here:
https://www.gcoa.org/call-for-issues

Not a CO-AGE member yet?
Join today and be part of the work. 🤝


🚨 LAST CALL! 🚨

The Georgia Council on Aging is still accepting CO-AGE issue submissions to help shape the 2027 Legislative Session for older adults across Georgia.

See a need? Have an idea? Ready to help create meaningful change? This is your opportunity to help bring attention to the issues impacting older Georgians statewide.

🗓️ Submit your issue by May 31, 2026.

Your voice can help strengthen advocacy, resources, and policies across our state.

Submit your issue here:
https://www.gcoa.org/call-for-issues

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is a fully public program funded entirely through state and federal sources. North Georgia Programs and Services contracts with the Georgia Department of Human Services, Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, to provide local services across 31 counties in North Georgia and Metro Atlanta.

As part of our public mandate, we regularly conduct community education sessions—often at senior centers, professional trainings, and interagency meetings—covering topics such as the types of long-term care facilities, residents’ rights, complaint resolution, mandated reporting, abuse recognition and prevention, and available resources.

We’re always glad to schedule sessions and would welcome the opportunity to present to your staff, your students, or the community.

www.georgiaombudsman.org

Caregiving for an older adult is an act of love, commitment, and selflessness — and caregivers deserve, and often need support too.

As registration enters its final days, we invite caregivers from across the region to join us for the Caregiver Retreat on June 6 in Atlanta.

This free event is designed to provide those who care for older adult friends or family members with a day of wellness, encouragement, resources, and community connection.

Saturday, June 6
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Loudermilk Conference Center | Atlanta, GA

Breakfast, lunch and refreshments will be provided. Limited spots remain.
Register here: https://bit.ly/4ukxkUe

This event is sponsored by the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Elder abuse is not rare. It is dramatically underreported because victims are often isolated, dependent on their caregivers, or afraid to speak up.

That's why awareness matters. That's why you matter.

Knowing the signs, your rights, and how to report abuse save lives.

Learn more: https://theconsumervoice.org/elder-abuse/

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: LTCCC May 2026 Webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: LTCCC May 2026 Webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

This brief explains that families provide valuable insight, advocacy, and support and it highlights the importance of strong communication with families such as listening to concerns, acknowledging emotions, and clearly explaining the Ombudsman program’s role to build cooperation and resolve issues effectively.

The brief also stresses educating and empowering families to advocate for themselves, manage challenging situations, and collaborate with facility staff, ultimately improving outcomes for residents.

https://ltcombudsman.org/uploads/files/support/Working_with_Families-TA-1.pdf

What does a Long-Term Care Ombudsman do?

https://youtu.be/4fuXimrSgck?si=bkB5qirreN3HgbBj

National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care

What is a Long Term Care Ombudsman? Residents and their family members can rely on long-term care ombudsmen to provide support, comfort and advocacy by listening to resident concerns and helpin...

Don’t forget!

Chairman Dr. Romona Jackson Jones will be hosting a Senior Symposium on Tuesday, May 19, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at New Mountain Baptist Church.

The event will include information and resources regarding senior safety, Medicare, legal services, and more.

For additional details and registration information, please contact Dionne Penn at [email protected] or call 770-920-7269.

New research is raising important questions about how nursing home staffing turnover is measured and reported.

A recent study found that current federal turnover calculations used in CMS Five-Star Ratings may exclude a large portion of short-term staff departures, potentially missing nearly half of nursing staff turnover in some facilities. Researchers noted that this could understate workforce instability and affect how facilities are compared and evaluated.

Staffing consistency plays a critical role in quality of care, resident well-being, and continuity of support in long-term care settings. As conversations continue around staffing standards and oversight, accurate reporting remains an important part of transparency and accountability.

Invisible staffing churn in nursing homes: CMS turnover metrics miss a growing short-term workforce Staffing instability is widely recognized as a threat to nursing home quality, and in 2022, CMS added annual staff turnover to the Nursing Home Five-Star R

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