Rod Wilson , Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass

Visit Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass' website

Contact Rod Wilson

Big Idea

There is no nationwide regulation of assisted living facilities. Assisted living services are private in Kentucky, where I live, and when residents move into assisted living facilities, they don't always realize the level of care is not the same as it is at long-term care facilities. Residents in assisted living facilities need people to advocate for their care.

Working with the Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass, a Lexington, Ky., nonprofit that uses paid "ombuddies" to advocate for residents in long-term care facilities, I’d like to establish a pilot program in assisted living facilities. The goal is to encourage Kentucky legislators to pass laws to regulate the industry and protect consumers.

The pilot program would employ someone (preferably a retiree or experienced worker) to go into assisted living facilities regularly, visiting and advocating for residents. The advocate could gather information about conditions and problems experienced by assisted living residents, which could then be used to advocate for a bill of rights and other consumer improvements. The program would also provide materials and brochures for these residents to inform them of their rights and explain how to navigate the long-term care system.

About Rod Wilson

I have personal experience with long-term care advocacy. My sister-in-law was in a nursing home for nearly 15 years, and my wife and I were her sole caregivers. Even though my sister-in-law has passed on, I am still the president of the family council in that facility. I also serve as the board president of the Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass, and I'm inspired by the advocates I've encountered there.

I was in upper management at Lexmark for many years and I recently finished a degree in sports management.