Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass

What Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass does

The Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass (NHOA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, founded in 1983 (with some sources citing 1981). It serves as the designated regional long-term care ombudsman program for 17 counties in Central Kentucky and additionally houses the Kentucky State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, giving it both regional and statewide operational scope. The organization advocates on behalf of approximately 5,500 long-term care residents locally and 35,000 statewide, conducting more than 5,000 facility visits annually.

NHOA's service portfolio centers on resident advocacy, complaint resolution, facility inspections, and rights protection for individuals residing in nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, and family-care homes. Its core offering is human-delivered advocacy: trained ombudsmen investigate complaints, mediate disputes, and refer cases to regulatory authorities when warranted. The organization operates with no proprietary technology; service delivery depends entirely on trained staff and volunteers conducting in-person visits. NHOA also operates a Friendly Visitor program that matches trained volunteers with residents to address social isolation, and engages in housing-insecurity advocacy and benefit-enrollment assistance.

Revenue is derived from federal funding (primarily through the Older Americans Act), state appropriations, private foundation grants, and individual donations. All services are provided free of charge to residents. The organization maintains approximately 32 full-time-equivalent staff, 25 part-time ombudsmen, and a volunteer base exceeding 120 (21 community ombudsmen plus 100+ friendly visitors). In May 2026, longtime Executive Director Sherry Culp retired and was succeeded by Jodi Holsclaw.

Name

Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass

Legal name

Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass, Inc.

Website

https://ombuddy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass is a Lexington, Kentucky-based non-profit that advocates for long-term care residents across 17 Central Kentucky counties and houses the statewide Kentucky Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, providing free complaint resolution, rights protection, and Friendly Visitor services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. State and Federal Government Funding: The organization receives state and federal funding from the Department for Aging and Independent Living to operate the Kentucky State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and district programs.
2. Philanthropic Donations: NHOA raises funds through individual donations, the Designer Showcase philanthropy event, and tribute gifts. Donations are tax-deductible as the organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
3. Grant Funding: The organization receives grant funding from entities such as the Bluegrass Charity Foundation ($5,000), American Contract Bridge League Charity Foundation ($5,000), and Kentucky Bar Foundation / Fayette County Bar Foundation for specific projects like the residents' rights booklet.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass advocates for the rights, quality of care, and quality of life of residents living in long-term care facilities across the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. It investigates and resolves complaints made by or on behalf of residents, provides placement counseling and community/professional education, trains and deploys certified volunteer ombudsmen, and houses the statewide Kentucky State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. All services are provided free of charge to residents and their families.

Product overview

The Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass (NHOA) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy services for long-term care residents. The organization operates as a single integrated service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. NHOA's core services include the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (which houses the Kentucky State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Office overseeing 15 district programs), the Certified Volunteer Ombudsman Program, Placement Counseling, Community Outreach and Education, and Professional Education. The organization also produces publications and resources for residents and families, operates the annual Designer Showcase House fundraiser, and runs the Silver Bells holiday gift program. All services are provided at no charge to residents or families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Long-Term Care Ombudsman Advocacy and Complaint Resolution

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000+ facility visits per year and 3,600+ visits to over 100 long-term care homes annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kentucky Bar Foundation and Fayette County Bar FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Kentucky Bar Foundation and Fayette County Bar Foundation co-funded the production of a new residents' rights booklet for assisted living, personal care home, and family care home residents, distributed by NHOA.
• National Consumer VoicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NHOA collaborates with the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care on residents' rights education, family council resources, and advocacy campaigns including the annual Residents' Rights Month.
• National Center on Elder AbusecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NHOA partners with the National Center on Elder Abuse to provide education, resources, and training on preventing and identifying elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation in long-term care settings.
• Department for Aging and Independent Living (DAIL)coreOthersNHOA receives state and federal funding from DAIL and operates the Kentucky State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program under DAIL's oversight. The organization also receives funding from the Kentucky Civil Monetary Penalty Fund for consumer education projects.
• United Way of Lexington Bluegrass (UWBG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHOA is recognized as a United Way Community Partner, receiving community support and collaborative partnership for advocacy services to Central Kentucky residents.
• United Way of Kentucky / Health and Knowledge United Way (HKUW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHOA holds community partner status with Kentucky United Ways, supporting statewide coordination of long-term care advocacy services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NHOABluegrass
• Instagraminstagram.com/nhoabluegrass
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nursing-home-ombudsman-agency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass