The ombudsman for long-term care serves in the classified service under section 256.01, subdivision 7, in an office within the Minnesota Board on Aging that incorporates the long-term care ombudsman program required by the Older Americans Act, as amended, United States Code, title 42, sections 3027(a)(9) and 3058g(a), and Code of Federal Regulations, title 45, parts 1321 and 1327. The office shall be a distinct entity, separately identifiable from other state agencies and may not be an agency engaged in the provision of nursing home care, hospital care, or home care services either directly or by contract, or have the responsibility for planning, coordinating, funding, or administering nursing home care, hospital care, or home care services.