17—8.3 (231) Long-term care resident’s advocate/ombudsman duties.
	 8.3(1) Program administration. The department shall employ an individual (hereinafter called the resident’s advocate/ombudsman) to administer the long-term care resident’s advocate/ombudsman program in accordance with the requirements of the Act and Iowa Code chapter 231.
	 8.3(2) Duties of the resident’s advocate/ombudsman (also known as the state long-term care ombudsman). In accordance with the Older Americans Act, the resident’s advocate/ombudsman shall perform the following duties:
	  a.   	 Identify, investigate and resolve complaints and grievances that are made by or on behalf of residents that may adversely affect the health, safety, welfare or rights of residents;
	  b.   	 Administer the resident advocate committee system pursuant to these rules and assist the committees in the performance of their duties through training and technical assistance;
	  c.   	 Monitor the development and implementation of federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations and policies that relate to long-term care facilities;
	  d.   	 Provide information to the public and to state and local agencies about problems of persons in long-term care facilities;
	  e.   	 Train long-term care facility staff in conjunction with training provided to resident advocate committee members;
	  f.   	 Administer the volunteer long-term care ombudsman program;
	  g.   	 Assist in the development of organizations to participate in long-term care;
	  h.   	 Comment and make recommendations on administrative actions under consideration by an agency or authority which may affect residents in long-term care facilities;
	  i.   	 Designate regional long-term care ombudsmen (hereinafter called designees) to perform any of the above duties; and
	  j.   	 Approve certification for volunteer long-term care ombudsmen.
[ARC 8489B, IAB 1/27/10, effective 1/7/10]