Home Care Client Rights

As a person who receives home care services, you have certain rights that protect you and make sure you get the home care services you need. These are legal requirements. If you have questions or if there are things you don't understand, please call our main phone number at (202) 635-5756.

1. The right to know Home Care, LLC’s mailing address, physical location, and telephone number.
2. The right to receive written information about rights, complaints, and referral, in advance of receiving care or during the initial evaluation visit before the initiation of treatment (including what to do if rights are violated).
3. The right to receive care and services according to a suitable and up-to-date plan and subject to accepted medical or nursing standards, to be informed of his or her condition, and to take an active part in creating and changing the plan and evaluating care and services.
4. The right to be educated and trained in advance of receiving care about the services that will be provided; the disciplines that will furnish care; the frequency of visits proposed to be furnished; other choices that are available; and the consequences of these choices, including the consequences of refusing these services.
5. The right to be told, in advance, of any changes in the plan of care and to take an active part in any changes.
6. The right to refuse treatment.
7. The right to know, in advance, any limits to the services available from a provider, and the provider’s grounds for a termination of services.
8. The right to know, in advance of receiving care, whether the services are covered by health insurance, medical assistance, or other health programs; the charges for services that will not be covered by Medicare/Medicaid; and the charges that the individual may have to pay.
9. The right to receive the number of the Home Health Hotline maintained by the Department of Health.
10. The right to know what the charges are for services, no matter who will be paying the bill.
11. The right as a Medicaid/Medicare beneficiary, not to be held responsible for payment of services and have no collection activity attempted on our behalf. Home Care will accept your insurance benefit as payment in full.
12. The right to know that there may be other services available in the community, including other home care services and providers, and to know where to go for information about these services.
13. The right to choose freely among available providers and to change providers after services has begun, within the limits of health insurance, medical assistance, or other health programs.
14. The right to have personal, financial, and medical information kept private and to be advised of Home Care’s policies and procedures regarding disclosure of such information.
15. The right to be allowed access to records and written information from records in accordance with Home Care’s Medical Records Policies and Procedures.
16. The right to be served by people who are properly trained, competent to perform their duties, and can communicate effectively.
17. The right to be treated with courtesy, dignity, and respect, and to have property treated with respect and to control his/her own household and lifestyle.
18. The right to access of care based on non-discrimination practices.
19. The right to be free from mental, physical, and verbal abuse and free from neglect and exploitation by our Home Care employees or contract personnel.
20. The right to reasonable, advance notice of changes in services, including at least a 10 day advance notice of the termination of a service by a provider, except in cases where:
    1. The recipient of services engages in conduct that alters the conditions of employment as specified in the employment contract between the home care providers and the individual providing home care services;
    2. Creates an abusive or unsafe work environment for the individual providing home care services; or
    3. An emergency for the caregiver or a significant change in the recipient’s condition has resulted in service needs that exceed the current service provider agreement and cannot safely be met by the home care provider.
21. The right to a coordinated transfer when there will be a change in the provider of services.
22. The right to voice grievances in writing or orally, including an in-person conference, if desired, regarding treatment or care that is, or fails to be furnished, or regarding a lack of courtesy or respect to the client or the client’s property. This information will be held in confidence and without fear of reprisal from Home Care or its personnel.
23. The right to know how to contact an individual associated with the provider who is responsible for handling problems and to have the provider investigate and attempt to resolve the grievance or complaint and provide a timely response.
24. The right to know the name and address of the Department of Health official to contact for additional information or assistance.
25. The right to assert these rights personally and without retaliation, or to have them asserted by the client’s family or guardian when the client has been judged incompetent.