Programs advocate for long-term-care residents When Janice Munson walks through the entrance of a local nursing home, she has a list of names of the aged and disabled residents who have called for help. After those visits, she'll check in with other residents, sometimes asking if they have a physical therapy plan and if they are being taken for supervised walks to maintain their mobility. The answer is often no. "They'll say, 'I know there aren't enough staff, so I don't want to ask.' " Ensuring that residents obtain services is one of Munson's primary roles as a long-term care ombudsman, a position created by the Older Americans Act of 1965. The legislation requires states to provide independent advocates for residents in nursing homes, adult care homes and assisted living and rehabilitation facilities. Munson is among the eight volunteers who, along with five paid staff members, monitor 120 facilities in Region 4, which covers Putnam, Westchester and Rockland counties. Based in Cold Spring and led by Philipstown resident Judy Farrell, the region is one of 15 in the state. Region 5, based in Fishkill, covers Dutchess and five other counties. Nursing homes are the priority; the state wants them visited weekly and other facilities at least quarterly, said Farrell, who is also a member of the Philipstown Town Board. Although physical abuse draws headlines, complaints range from a staff member giving a resident the wrong medication or failing to follow therapy plans to dirty rooms, substandard food and a lack of recreation. Along with residents, the friends of residents and facility staff can report concerns, said Farrell. During the pandemic, when quarantines prevented families from visiting long-term care facilities, Farrell arranged for "compassionate care" visits. In one case, she helped a man unable to get his dying mother discharged to home hospice care. When she arrived home, he called Farrell, crying and grateful. "You can't replace that feeling," she said. "It's greatly satisfying." Arnold Tanner knows the feeling. A volunteer in Region 4, he visits a facility near his home in Sleepy Hollow twice a week. Carrying an iPad filled with notes, he meets first with people in the long-term-care units before introducing himself to newcomers and checking in at the rehab unit. He sometimes gets "a little better feel for the place" from newcomers and rehab patients, who are less reluctant to speak up, he said. Those in long-term care may fear retribution by staff, which is also a source of complaints. Statewide, the ombudsman program received 18,346 complaints during fiscal 2024, including 1,680 to the Cold Spring office. About a third were care-related, a broad category that includes accidents, falls, general requests for assistance and concerns about medications and physical therapy. Another 15 percent were complaints about staff failing to "honor and promote a resident's right or preferences" about healthcare, privacy, visitors and other areas. Many complaints related to food and admissions, including discharges and evictions. "Sometimes people face discharge for nonpayment when they might be eligible for Medicaid," Farrell explained. Complaints occasionally lead to legal action. In 2024, the state attorney general announced a $45 million settlement with Centers for Care, which owns four facilities, including one in White Plains, for "years of tragic and devastating mistreatment and neglect." According to the attorney general, "call bells regularly went unanswered, residents were forced to sit in their own urine and feces for hours, meals were not provided in a timely manner and personal belongings, including hearing aids, dentures and clothing, were often lost or stolen." After making On the Shoulders of Giants, a film about the orthopedics department at NYU Langone that was a Tribeca Film Festival Special Jury Award finalist in 2024, Cold Spring resident Peter Sanders turned to ombudsman programs. In March 2025, he began ...
