Programs such as governmental, departmental or nonprofit ombudsman offices that provide assistance for people who want to register complaints about or have other issues which relate to the activities, actions or lack of action by public officials or civil service employees in state government offices or the agencies they regulate and/or fund. Also included are programs that handle complaints about the availability and quality of state government services. The program provides an objective, neutral and independent review of complaints; offers reasonable remedies when complaints are substantiated; and uses information from the complaints and the investigations they trigger to identify and resolve problems within the agency or department and improve services.

Programs that intercede on behalf of individuals to help them establish eligibility for or obtain needed services when they have been denied benefits or services for which they are eligible, when they need assistance to communicate their needs to a service provider or to otherwise effectively represent themselves, or when they have a complaint about a service. Individual advocacy attempts to reach equitable settlements without resorting to litigation and seeks to meet individual needs without attempting to change social institutions.

Programs that investigate and attempt to resolve complaints made by or on behalf of residents of nursing facilities, residential care homes, assisted living facilities and other supervised living facilities for older adults. The program also promotes policies and practices that improve the quality of life, health, safety, welfare and rights of residents; monitors laws, regulations and policies that affect those who live in long-term care facilities; provides the public with information about long-term care options; and promotes the development of consumer organizations concerned about long-term care. Under the federal Older Americans Act, every state is required to have an Ombudsman Program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long term care system.

Programs that utilize a wide variety of materials including pamphlets and other literature, media presentations, speakers, workshops, directories, newsletters and outreach and prevention programs to make the public aware of the human service needs of the community, the resources that are available to meet those needs, and the issues which are relevant to specific social problems and the measures that have been proposed for their solution.

Individuals who are age 50, 55, 60, 62 or 65 or older depending on the minimum age for qualifying as an older adult which varies by program.

Physical, sensory, developmental, cognitive, mental or emotional impairments, illnesses or injuries that prevent or interfere with an individual's ability to perform intellectual or physical tasks that are normally within the range of human capability, or which significantly limit one's mobility or level of activity.

Older adults who have a condition that affects their independence and places them at future risk of needing a higher level of care than is currently required.

Individuals who have chronic illnesses or disabilities or are frail elderly, who are unable to take care of their own daily living needs independently and who require one or a a combination of ongoing in-home or out-of-home care supportive arrangements which may include care in their own homes by relatives or other caregivers; care in their own homes combined with participation in an adult day care or similar program; residence in an assisted living facility, adult foster home, continuing care retirement community, life care community, senior residential care home or other supervised living facility; case management; advocacy to assure their safety and rights; and/or other forms of basic assistance.