Policy Manual sample

MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. the home health agency. The Patient’s Physician will be notified when there is a need to alter the plan of care immediately after the Agency’s is notified of the need of adjust/modify the Plan of Care, and asking for approval, a Modify Order reflecting those changes must be signed by the Patient’s Physician within 30 days, and copy of the modified plan will be distributed to all involved discipline in patient’s care. VERBAL/TELEPHONE ORDERS READ-BACK (including Initial-Admission, Reinstatement/Resumption, Recertification, Modify, Medication and any other Order). The Agency ensures the accuracy of verbal/telephone orders received in this Agency. PROCEDURE: Each verbal/telephone order is read-back by an appropriately qualified Agency staff member receiving the order. The staff member documents the following statement on the verbal/telephone order form: “Order read-back to and verified with (full name of the individual providing the order)”, as well as the date and time the order was read-back. Read-back of verbal/telephone orders is tracked and trended as part of the organization’s performance improvement (QAPI) program, and aggregated results are reported monthly to the Director of Nursing, Clinical Manager, and quarterly to the Board of Directors and QAPI Committee. Root cause analysis is conducted on any identified variances, and a plan of correction is developed, implemented and evaluated. Comprehensive assessment of patients . Each patient must receive, and our HHA will provide, a patient-specific, comprehensive assessment. For Medicare beneficiaries, the HHA must verify the patient’s eligibility for the Medicare home health benefit including homebound status, both at the time of the initial assessment visit and at the time of the comprehensive assessment. (a) Standard: Initial assessment visit. (1) A registered nurse must conduct an initial assessment visit to determine the immediate care and support needs of the patient; and, for Medicare patients, to determine eligibility for the Medicare home health benefit, including homebound status. The initial assessment visit must be held either within 48 hours of referral, or within 48 hours of the patient’s return home, or on the physician-ordered start of care date. (2) When rehabilitation therapy service (speech language pathology, physical therapy, or occupational therapy) is the only service ordered by the physician who is responsible for the home health plan of care, and if the need for that service establishes program eligibility, the initial assessment visit may be made by the appropriate rehabilitation skilled professional. (b) Standard: Completion of the comprehensive assessment . (1) The comprehensive assessment must be completed in a timely manner, consistent with the patient’s immediate needs, but no later than 5 calendar days after the start of care. (2) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, a registered nurse must complete the comprehensive assessment and for Medicare patients, determine eligibility for the Medicare home health benefit, including homebound status. (3) When physical therapy, speech language pathology, or occupational therapy is the only service ordered by the physician, a physical therapist, speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist may complete the comprehensive assessment, and for Medicare patients, determine eligibility for the Medicare home health benefit, including homebound Home Health Agency Policies A-200