(1) Pursuant to the older Americans act, there is hereby established a state long-term care ombudsman program which shall be comprised of a state long-term care ombudsman office and local ombudsman offices established throughout the state.
The state long-term care ombudsman office shall be established and operated underthe state department of human services either directly or by contract with or grant to any public agency or other appropriate private nonprofit organization; except that such office shall not be administered by any agency or organization responsible for licensing or certifying long-term care services in the state. The office shall be administered by a full-time qualified state long-term care ombudsman who shall be designated in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the state department.
Local long-term care and PACE ombudsman programs shall be established statewide. Such programs shall be operated by the state department under contract, grant, or agreement between the state department and a public agency or an appropriate private nonprofit organization. Personnel of local long-term care ombudsman programs must be trained and designated as qualified representatives of the office in accordance with section 26-11.5-105
(1)(b). Personnel of local PACE ombudsman programs must be trained and designated as qualified representatives of the office in accordance with section 26-11.5-113 (1)(a.5).
A state PACE ombudsman office is established in the state long-term care ombudsman program to carry out the duties set forth in section 26-11.5-113.
Source: L. 90: Entire article added, p. 1402, § 1, effective April 10. L. 94: (2) amended, p. 2707, § 275, effective July 1. L. 2016: (4) added, (SB 16-199), ch. 270, p. 1119, § 4, effective June 10. L. 2017: (3) amended, (HB 17-1264), ch. 363, p. 1900, § 2, effective June 5.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration contained in the 1994 act amending this section, see section 1 of chapter 345, Session Laws of Colorado 1994.