What the Ombudsman Hawaii Does To Protect Citizens’ Rights

The Hawaiian Ombudsman is one of the best in service efficiency and effectiveness. It is a government-backed and approved body that aims to protect the rights of the citizens against any mismanagement or unfair treatment conducted by any institution or agency.

Ombudsman Hawaii is independent of the Legislative body and independently works to investigate complaints raised by citizens. They do not work under pressure since they are not answerable to bodies of power. Such bodies need to be independent, as citizens may come with a complaint against an influential person in the organization. And to properly help the citizens, the Ombudsman must not be answerable to other agencies that might try to influence it.


The Ombudsman majorly reviews complaints against establishments like long-term care Honolulu, nursing homes etc. They mostly aim to serve senior citizens who experience bad treatment in their long-term facilities. Several elderly adults have reached out to the Ombudsman, and they have looked into the matter on their behalf and have tried to provide a solution.

Common Problems Hawaiian Citizens Face

Before understanding how the Ombudsman solves the problems of the citizens, we must understand the kind of problems the latter face.

Mistreatment in Long Term Facilities

Not all Hawaiian nursing homes are safe and offer the best services. Some are corrupt, and residents face a great deal of disrespect, harassment and neglect. The most commnon complaints against Hawaiian nursing homes include slow response time, infringement of privacy, violation of basic human and civil rights, abuse etc.

Residents who face such problems do not even realize they are being abused, and even if they do, most of the time, complaining to the head warden doesn’t make any difference. This is where the Ombudsman for senior citizens comes in.

Institutions or Organizations Misleading Citizens

Several institutions often mislead citizens with wrong information or dupe them about their products and services. The lack of resources and knowledge makes citizens

fall for such tricks. Citizens can come to the Ombudsman and file a complaint in any such case. The institute could be a bank, hotel or any other service-providing company.  

Misleading Consumers

Any business misleading consumers can come under the radar of the Hawaiian Ombudsman if a complaint is lodged.

How Ombudsman Protects the Citizens

Once a complaint is lodged, the Ombudsman takes necessary steps to provide citizens with a solution and safeguard their rights. Here’s what they do to address your issue:

  • Investigate

To resolve any issue, one must first investigate it. The Ombudsman puts all their resources together to investigate the matter. A thorough investigation eliminates false and baseless complaints, and once they are satisfied with the investigation, they can proceed to take action.

They look into the complaint from a subjective point of view and go through laws and regulations regarding the complaint and the establishment.

  • Advocate

After the office of the Ombudsman investigates the matter, they can also act as advocates for the citizen who complained. They try to negotiate between the two parties and compel them to come to a reasonable conclusion. Besides, they can also counsel the citizens on ways they can pursue their cases and what steps they should take next.

  • Recommend

Recommendation is a strong way to help citizens and can go a long way. The Ombudsman can suggest certain improvements to the institution or organization that might solve the senior’s problems. Most authorities take these recommendations seriously, as no one wants to get embroiled in a tussle with the Ombudsman. It could reflect badly upon their reputation. 

Similar Link: The Role of Hawaii Long-Term Care Ombudsman in Senior Financial Assistance

  • Resolve

The Ombudsman tries their best to devise a resolution in favor of citizens. In the process, they can undertake several strategies and methods to best suit the problem. The volunteers are hard-working, good samaritans who undergo extensive training to help their state's citizens.

Key Takeaway

The Hawaii Ombudsman protects several rights of the citizens, especially human and civil rights. Besides that, it also protects their legal right by giving them counsel and legal help within the Ombudsman’s power. So if you are an honest citizen facing unfair treatment from any executive branch agency in the state, take your issue to the Ombudsman, who will surely help you.


Location: Hawaii, USA

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