REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
March 24, 2026
FROM
SHARON NEVINS, Director, Department of Aging and Adult Services
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contract with WISE and Healthy Aging for Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 3 to Contract No. 22-221 with WISE and Healthy Aging, for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, to continue to advocate for the rights of residents of long-term care facilities, increasing the contract amount by $472,849, from $2,700,000 to $3,172,849, with no change to the contract period of April 1, 2022 through June 30, 2026.
(Presenter: Sharon Nevins, Director, 891-3917)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The amended contract increase of $472,849 for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) is funded by a combination of ongoing state, federal, and one-time funding sources as follows: State General Fund IIIB, State Public Health Licensing and Certification Fund, State Health Facilities Citation Penalties Account, State Skilled Nursing Facility Quality and Accountability Program, Federal Title IIIB, Federal Title VII, Federal Title VII Elder Abuse, Federal Title XX Elder Justice, and State American Rescue Plan Act funding. Total funding for the LTCOP over the term of this contract is approximately 19% federal ($609,555) and 81% state ($2,563,294). Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Aging and Adult Services’ (DAAS) 2025-26 recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The LTCOP is authorized under Title VII of the federal Older Americans Act of 1965 and works to resolve issues and concerns related to the health, safety, welfare, and rights of individuals who live in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, board-and-care homes, assisted living facilities, and other residential care communities. The program is part of a statewide system of response and advocacy focused on residents of LTC facilities with an emphasis on receiving and resolving complaints.
LTCOP staff and volunteers also assist with issues including, but not limited to: violation of resident’s rights or dignity, physical, verbal, mental, or fiscal abuse, poor quality of care, dietary concerns, medical care, therapy, and rehabilitation issues, Medicare and Medi-Cal benefit issues, improper transfer or discharge of a patient, and inappropriate use of chemical or physical restraints.
LTCOP staff and volunteers focus on complaint resolution, which includes investigation and response by local certified representatives designated to act on behalf of the State of California LTCOP. LTCOP representatives also engage in advocacy through public information efforts, elder abuse prevention education and training, and legislative advocacy.
The recommended Amendment will supplement funding that permits WISE and Healthy Aging to recruit, train, and evaluate both paid and volunteer staff to perform the required advocacy activities and deliver mandated services under the LTCOP. The LTCOP has been approved by the Office of the State LTC Ombudsman. The amount originally allocated under Contract 22-221 is insufficient to support services through the remainder of the fiscal year, and the contracted vendor is projected to exhaust available funds by April 14, 2026. Additional available funds have been identified, and this amendment is necessary to allocate those funds to the vendor and ensure uninterrupted delivery of contracted services to older adults in San Bernardino County.
On March 29, 2022 (Item No. 4), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Contract No. 22-221 with WISE and Healthy Aging for the LTCOP to be advocates for the rights of residents of LTC facilities, in the amount not to exceed $1,800,000, for the period of April 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024.
On May 21, 2024 (Item No. 8), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 22-221 with WISE and Healthy Aging for the LTCOP to be advocates for the rights of residents of LTC facilities, updating the standard contract language, including Attachment D of the contract, increasing the contract amount by $200,000, from $1,800,000 to $2,000,000, and extending the contract term by one year, for a total contract term of April 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025.
On May 6, 2025 (Item No. 4), the Board approved Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 22-221 with WISE and Healthy Aging for the LTCOP Program to be advocates for the rights of residents of LTC facilities, increasing the contract amount by $700,000, from $2,000,000 to $2,700,000, and extending the contract term by one year, for a total contract term of April 1, 2022 through June 30, 2026.
Under the terms of the recommended Amendment, the following performance accomplishments have been established:
• 56 Skilled Nursing Facilities within the county will be visited on a quarterly basis.
• 251 Residential Care Facilities for Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities will be visited on a quarterly basis.
• 1,000 unduplicated clients will receive elder abuse prevention education and training annually.
LTCOP has achieved all current performance objectives including the following accomplishments:
• Over 215 Skilled Nursing Facilities within the county have been visited quarterly.
• An estimated total of more than 475 Residential Care Facilities for older adults and adults with disabilities have been visited quarterly.
• Over 1,000 unduplicated clients have received elder abuse prevention education and training annually.
DAAS will continue to measure contractor performance by reviewing service data and expenditure reports on a monthly basis, as well as conducting quarterly and annual site visits ensure compliance with all contractual requirements. DAAS will also continue to work closely with the Office of the State LTC Ombudsman to ensure regulatory obligations are met.
The contract may be terminated by the County immediately if funding becomes unavailable, and without cause by providing a written notice to WISE and Healthy Aging 30 days in advance of termination.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services (Lisa Rivas-Ordaz, Contracts Manager, 388-0222) on March 10, 2026; County Counsel (Jacqueline Carey-Wilson, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on March 11, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (John Hallen, Principal Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on March 11, 2026.