Little Rock Senior AdvisorWhere do we report a problem at a Little Rock nursing home or assisted living facility?
Call the DHS Office of Long Term Care's complaint line at 1-800-582-4887 (locally (501) 320-6145) for care or licensing problems at a nursing home, assisted living facility or residential care facility.
The office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; the TDD line is (501) 682-6789. Write down dates, times, names and what you saw before you call, and keep copies of anything you hand over.
Who investigates suspected abuse of an older adult in Arkansas?
DHS Adult Protective Services, through the Adult Maltreatment Hotline at 1-800-482-8049; anyone who suspects abuse, neglect or exploitation of an older or endangered adult can call, and if someone is in immediate danger, call 911 first.
Financial exploitation counts: unexplained withdrawals, new names on accounts or a caregiver who controls all the money are worth a call.
What does the long-term care ombudsman do in central Arkansas?
The ombudsman is a free, confidential advocate for residents of nursing homes, assisted living and residential care facilities; CareLink's ombudsmen in North Little Rock cover Pulaski, Saline, Faulkner, Lonoke, Prairie and Monroe counties.
Grant County's ombudsman works from the area agency on aging in Pine Bluff and Perry County's from the regional office in Russellville. An ombudsman can attend a care-plan meeting, help with a discharge notice and explain residents' rights, and does not need the facility's permission to talk with a resident.
Will a complaint cause problems for my parent?
Arkansas's assisted living residents' rights forbid a facility from discriminating or taking any punitive, retaliatory or adverse action against a resident who complains.
If you see changes in how your parent is treated after a complaint, report that too. Many families start with the ombudsman precisely because the conversation can be confidential.
What should we write down before calling the Office of Long Term Care?
The facility's name and town, the resident's name, the dates and times of what happened, the names or roles of staff involved, what you saw or were told, and whom you already told at the facility.
Photographs of an injury or a room, copies of bills and notes from care-plan meetings help an investigator. If the resident can speak for themselves, ask whether they want to be part of the complaint; an ombudsman can help with that conversation.
Side by side
| Call this number | For this kind of problem | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-800-582-4887 | Care or licensing problems (OLTC) | Not for emergencies |
| 1-800-482-8049 | Suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation (APS) | Not for billing disputes |
| (501) 372-5300 | CareLink, which sponsors the region's ombudsmen | Not a licensing agency |
| 911 | Immediate danger | Not for routine complaints |
Sources: Arkansas Office of Long Term Care assisted living rules, the Health Services Permit Agency's Bed Need Book, Arkansas DHS waiver and PACE fact sheets, CMS, CareScout and VA rate tables, each cited in the text. Our editorial standards explain how we check them.
