1st Speaker of the Month:

Kristin Rigsbee

Seminar Title: Long Term Care Ombudsman

Presentation Date: 5/1/2026

Presentation Time: 11:00 AM

Seminar Details: This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of the Long Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman Program in San Diego County, detailing its mission to advocate for the dignity and quality of care for residents in long-term care facilities. Created in the mid-1970s as a federally mandated but state-administered volunteer program, the initiative operates across 84 skilled nursing and 590 residential care facilities in the region. It outlines the rigorous 40-hour training and certification process for its 35 volunteer advocates, their role in investigating complaints and elder abuse, and the specific rights of residents they are sworn to protect, such as freedom from retaliation and the right to self-determination. Additionally, the presentation emphasizes the necessity of resident consent for active intervention and provides contact information for 24-hour reporting and community training.

Speaker Bio: Kristin Rigsbee is the Education and Outreach Specialist for the County of San Diego Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. She received her B.S in Psychology from Appalachian State University in Boone North Carolina. She has worked for the past 25 years in the long-term care facilities in San Diego County. She has worked for 20 years as a case manager/social worker in several skilled nursing facilities. She has also worked for 5 years as the Memory Care Director in assisted living. She has held her RCFE Administrators License while working in assisted living. Prior to coming to the Ombudsman Program, she worked as a care coordinator for an Elder Law Attorney. In 2014 she came to the Ombudsman Program in the position as the North Coastal Regional Coordinator. 6 months later she was moved to her current position in Outreach and Education. In 2017 she received the “Tools of the Trade” award from the California Long Term Care Ombudsman Association for innovation and excellence in training. She continues to recruit all volunteers as well as provide the state certification training for new Ombudsman, and all community and facility training regarding elder issues and mandated reporting.

Seminar Objectives:

• Define the program’s role in advocating for the dignity and quality of life of residents and recognize its history as a federally mandated advocacy program created in the mid-1970s.
• Outline the scope of the San Diego County program, including its oversight of 84 skilled nursing facilities and 590 residential care facilities across six specific regions.
• Describe the primary duties of an Ombudsman, such as investigating complaints and elder abuse , and identify the training requirements for certified volunteers
• Summarize fundamental rights, such as the right to self-determination and freedom from restraints, while identifying common complaints like inappropriate discharge or inadequate staffing
• Identify the specific environmental and care factors Ombudsmen monitor during visits, including safety hazards, medication storage, and resident grooming.
• Understand the necessity of obtaining written resident consent before taking action and learn how to utilize the 24-hour confidential reporting system.