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Protecting the rights of older adults and long-term care residents

Older adults can be vulnerable to situations where their rights are violated. Minuteman Senior Services has programs designed to advocate for residents of long-term care facilities and provide counseling to help resolve their rights-related issues and concerns.

Advocating for long-term care residents

The Nursing Home Ombudsman Program provides a means for residents of long-term care facilities to voice their concerns and have their complaints addressed. Trained and certified volunteers visit long-term care facilities each week to:

Contact residents and receive complaints
Investigate and resolve problems
Monitor care and environment
Inform residents of their rights under state and federal law
Provide information and referral to residents and their families and to facility staff
Assure that complaints of abuse, mistreatment, neglect, and misappropriation are given immediate attention by the program office

The program is mandated by state and federal law and funded by the Older Americans Act through the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

Legal services for older adults

People aged 60 and older may be eligible for free civil legal assistance services through the Senior Citizen’s Law Project (SCLP), a project of Greater Boston Legal Services funded in part by a grant from Minuteman Senior Services. The project provides civil legal representation, advice, referral, education, and training in the following areas:

Social Security and SSI benefits
Public benefits (food stamps, Medicaid)
Evictions from public, subsidized, or private housing and other tenant rights issues, including eligibility for public and subsidized housing
Advice and referral for other areas

Legal services staff can meet clients in a variety of settings, including their home, hospital, or nursing home, as well as in community settings.

To refer someone for legal services, call (617) 603-1804.