Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1986 NO. 15 >

(1) The long-term care ombudsman, under chapter 43.190 RCW, may not reveal the identity of a person who has filed a complaint with the Ombudsman without having first either obtained the written consent of such person or been ordered to do so by a court of competent jurisdiction. (2) The ombudsman may reveal the identity of a complainant to those persons within the Department of Social and Health Services having supervisory responsibility over the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman. (3) Files maintained by the long-term care ombudsman program may be disclosed to persons outside the office of the long-term care ombudsman if the disclosure is made in such a manner as not to reveal the identity of complainants or residents of long-term care facilities mentioned in such files.