Section 22-B3908. ADMISSIONS

 

3908.1Each home care agency shall have written policies on admissions, which shall include, at a minimum, the following:

 

(a)Admission criteria and procedures;

 

(b)A description of the services provided;

 

(c)The amount charged for each service;

 

(d)Policies governing fees, payments and refunds;

 

(e)Advance directives;

 

(f)Do Not Resuscitate orders;

 

(g)Consent for services; and

 

(h)Consent for interagency sharing of information.

 

3908.2A written summary of the agency's admissions policies, including all of the items specified at subsection 3908.1, shall be made available to each prospective patient upon request, and shall be given to each patient upon admission.

 

3908.3The agency shall evaluate each request for home care services according to the following criteria:

 

(a)The ability of the program to provide or coordinate the services that the patient needs;

 

(b)The patient's general health and the patient's psychosocial condition or functioning status pertinent to the services being requested, as determined in consultation with the patient's physician;

 

(c)The adaptability of the patient's place of residence to accommodate the services being requested; and

 

(d)The ability of the patient to participate in his or her own care, or the availability of an individual willing to assume the appropriate level of responsibility when the patient is unable to do so.

 

3908.4The home care agency shall notify each entity referring a potential patient to the agency, and each individual requesting services from the agency, of the availability or unavailability of service, and the reason(s) therefor, within 48 hours after the referral or request for services.

 

3908.5A home care agency shall maintain records on each person requesting services whose request is not accepted. The records shall be maintained for at least one year from the date of non-acceptance and shall include the nature of the request for services and the reason for not accepting the patient.

 

3908.6Each home care agency shall conduct an initial assessment, including a home visit, based on information provided by the prospective patient or the patient's representative and on other pertinent data.

 

source

Final Rulemaking published at 51 DCR 2876 (March 19, 2004).