Mark Davis is a Long Term Care Ombudsman for CARIE, the Philadelphia-based Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly (http://www.carie.org/). A non-profit organization, CARIE has been dedicated to improving the quality of life for vulnerable older people since 1977. Anybody can call the CARIE Line at 215-545-5728 for a free consultation.

"The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program is a state and federally funded advocacy program. Every state and every county has a free ombudsman service available to help older adults," Davis says. "It’s been expanded beyond nursing home care, to assisted living and personal care, and even to some community-based programs. It’s a program that allows people to have an advocate if there’s a complaint about services, or if they feel like their rights are being violated. We try to educate consumers and their families about what to look for when they are choosing services."