Improving training of volunteers under the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

Section 712 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3058g) is amended— (1) in subsection (h)(5)— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)— (i) by striking the representatives and inserting each type of representative; and (ii) by inserting types of before unpaid volunteers; (B) in subparagraph (A), by inserting for each such type of representative before the semicolon at the end; (C) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking and at the end; (D) in subparagraph (C), by adding and at the end; and (E) by adding at the end the following: (D) with respect to representatives of the Office who are unpaid volunteers, take into consideration the degree to which each such type of unpaid volunteer performs activities requiring specialized training, with a goal of reducing unnecessary training requirements for prospective unpaid volunteers;; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (k) Training requirements for unpaid volunteers (1) In general In providing the model standards described in subsection (h)(5), the Director of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs shall review and, as necessary, update such model standards on a regular basis to tailor such model standards to the individualized training needs of each type of representative of the Office, including each type of unpaid volunteer. (2) Considerations In carrying out paragraph (1), the Director of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs shall take into consideration the degree to which each type of representative of the Office performs activities that require specialized training, with a goal of reducing unnecessary training requirements for unpaid volunteers..