Policy Manual sample

MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. COMPLAINTS (Focused on patient/family grievances/concern) 1. Patient's complaints: All patient complaints must be made to the Director of Nursing, Clinical Manager, who will then refer them to proper person. (See Complaint/Grievance Form). The Grievance procedure must be explained to patient on Admission date by our admission nurse/therapist. 2. Food complaints, (if an agency employee is ordered participate in food preparation): Food complaints must be handled with patient's diagnosis, diet and doctor's orders in mind. (Example A diabetic would not be given a piece of pie should he complain that he has not been given it.) 3. Environment complaints: Heat, air, lighting could also be an influencing factor on the patient's well being. 4. Personnel complaints: Personnel complaints regarding time schedules should be made in writing to the Director of Nursing, Clinical Manager as soon as schedules are made known. Any assignment or procedure complaints are discussed with the Director of Nursing, Clinical Manager, and not with fellow employees or patients. 5. All Patient’s complaints must be followed for the appropriate response and satisfaction to the patient/family. Time frames for investigation activities, review and evaluation of the collected information about the complaint, including the use of after hours if needed, must be 30 days after the Agency received a complaint. Ten (10) days after the patient/family received the Agency’s results of investigation, and a formal response was delivered to the patient/family, the DON, Clinical Manager/Administrator will designate a staff to received feedback from patient/family regarding the satisfaction on the complaint solution. Reporting of information: the employee must inform to DON, Clinical Manager/Administrator his/her finding. Any negative feedback must be followed until thematter are solved at patient/family satisfaction, within the law/regulations, and Agency’s Policy. 6. Documentation of all activities involved with the grievance/complaint/concern must be completed by the assigned staff, including investigation, analysis, resolution and feedback. 7. At Admission date the patient will be informed of the availability of telephone hot line for questions, fraud reporting, information on Advance Directives or complaint from: Accreditation body (if applicable), CMS (Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary), Medicaid Fraud reporting information, State Regulatory Agency, and our Agency. (A labels with all this information will be placed in the cover of the admission package) Agency Investigation of complaints: 1) Our HHA must: (i) Investigate complaints made by a patient, the patient’s representative (if any), and the patient’s caregivers and family, including, but not limited to, the following topics: (A) Treatment or care that is (or fails to be) furnished, is furnished inconsistently, or is furnished inappropriately; and (B) Mistreatment, neglect, or verbal, mental, sexual, and physical abuse, including injuries of unknown source, and/or misappropriation of patient property by anyone furnishing services on behalf of our Agency. (ii) Document both the existence of the complaint and the resolution of the complaint; and Home Health Agency Nursing Manual J-6