Certification of the volunteer ombudsman - Qualifications

The state long-term care ombudsman may certify a volunteer ombudsman. A volunteer ombudsman must be at least eighteen years of age. The volunteer ombudsman is not paid and is not an employee of the department. Each certified volunteer ombudsman must: 1. Have references and experiences that demonstrate the capability to fulfill comparable duties as those listed in section 75-03-25-07; 2. Be free of conflicts of interest; 3. Possess any other qualifications that the state long-term care ombudsman determines necessary to fulfill the duties of the position; 4. Have completed initial and ongoing training; 5. Have agreed to abide by the confidentiality statement, the conflict of interest statement, and the position description; 6. Be able to communicate with long-term care residents and facility staff; 7. Be able to communicate with residents who may be physically or mentally impaired; and 8. Understand and have the ability to advocate on behalf of residents.