Abbreviations Approved for Use
Abbreviations Attestation Form
Admission – All patients/clients referred for admission are evaluated according to specific qualifying criteria for the services being requested.
Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN)
After Hours Coverage – There will be an after hours telephone service available Mon – Fri from 5 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 24 hours a day on weekends and holidays to triage clinical and non-clinical incoming calls. Clinical calls initiated by patient or caregiver will be assessed by nurses using the teletriage guidelines and support tools. On weekends from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., all calls will be answered by intake staff, then forwarded as appropriate. This service is available for Island Health Care, Island Hospice, and Independent Life at Home.
Anaphylaxis Policy and Procedure – Drug sensitivity is questioned prior to administering any medication in order to prevent anaphylaxis. First dose should be administered with MD present unless approved otherwise. An RN administers immediate treatment based on the following procedure. The patient is then immediately referred to a physician
Assessment & Reassessment – Initial and recertification assessments are completed by staff in accordance with CMS regulations.
Bag Technique – Standard Bag Supplies and Procedure
Bereavement Program – Bereavement services are available to survivors for up to 13 months following the death of a patient, with a longer period offered as needed. Patients and their survivors are informed at the time of admission the types of bereavement care available before, during, and after care.
Beyond Now Bereavement and Volunteer Services Survey
Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Plan
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) – Outlines adherence to the patient’s right to receive resuscitation measures.
Change in Patient Condition – A change in a patient’s condition is immediately communicated to proper personnel.
Change in Patient Condition – Hospice – A change in a hospice patient’s condition is immediately communicated to proper personnel.
Corporate ID and Brand Standards
Critical Lab Values & Tests – It is the policy of THA Group, Inc. to identify laboratory tests as “critical” and to ensure that these test results are communicated to the responsible licensed healthcare provider in a timely manner in order to enhance patient care and patient safety.
Discharge – Home Health Care – Discharge planning is initiated at the time of admission and involves the patient and/or caregiver. Services are discontinued when identified goals are met or when the patient no longer meets the criteria for services.
Discharge – Hospice – Discharge planning is initiated at the time of admission and involves the patient and/or caregiver. Services are discontinued when identified goals are met or when the patient no longer meets the criteria for services.
Episode Management – Nursing Admissions – It is the policy of Island Health Care to provide fiscally responsible, patient centered care; to guarantee that the care delivered is appropriate to the patient’s individual needs, and to provide increased patient contact in the days immediately following hospital discharge, when the patient is at the greatest risk for re-hospitalization.
Fall Risk Assessment and Prevention Policy – To assess and address potential risks in order to actively prevent patient falls.
Home Health Aide Missed Visit – Every measure will be taken to eliminate home health aide (HHA) missed visits, but when these do occur, the physician, the Scheduling & Office Coordinator (S/OC) and the Director of Patient Centered Care (DPCC)/Hospice Patient Care Coordinator (HPCC), will be notified in a timely manner.
Home Health Aide Missed Visit Form
Home Health Aide Supervisory Visit
Home Health Change of Care Notice (HHCCN)
Home Health Aide Care Plan and Visit Documentation Process
Hospice Continuous Care – To establish the criteria and procedures for providing continuous care services to patients.
Hospice General Inpatient – General Inpatient Care (GIP) is provided as specified under the Medicare, Medicaid, and specific private insurance hospice benefits. General inpatient level of care is a short-term solution when symptoms cannot feasibly be managed at home.
Hospice Respite Care – Respite is one of four levels of care mandated by CMS for certified hospices to provide to hospice beneficiaries. Respite care is a required service, which means that if the patient is willing and the family needs it, the hospice must provide placement in a facility for the patient up to 5 days, after which the patient is transferred back home
Hospice Services – Hospice services are offered to each patient and their family. Hospice care is provided in accordance with the standards of practice for palliative care, including pain and symptom management, psychosocial care, spiritual support, and bereavement services. The Medicare Conditions of Participation for hospice programs apply to all patients of the hospice organization, both Medicare and non-Medicare. The Medicare Conditions of Participation Continuation of Care Requirement (418.100(d)) and the 80-20 Inpatient Care Limitation (418.108 (d)) apply only to Medicare beneficiaries, not to non-Medicare patients.
Infusion Therapy – THA Group adheres to policies and procedures outlined by the Infusion Nurses Society to insure the safe treatment of patients.
Initial Bereavement Assessment
Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) – Services are provided through a designated Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) as appropriate.
Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) Plan of Care – Promotes coordination of all aspects of patient/client care through team planning, implementation, evaluation, and revision of the plan of care.
Medical Devices Act – The purpose of this policy is to ensure safe, appropriate use of equipment by THA Group staff in both the patient care and Company offices. THA Group will educate all staff in the safe use of equipment owned and/or utilized by THA Group and will notify staff in a timely manner of any identified equipment hazards, defects and recalls. THA Group will comply with the Safe Medical Devices Act to identify, report, and correct medical device incidents.
Management and Care of the Organ Transplant Client – Transplantation is the procedure used to transfer living tissue from human to human, animal to human or from one part of the body to another in the same individual. Organs that are commonly transplanted include kidney, heart, lung, liver, bone marrow, skin, cornea, and pancreas.
Management and Disposal of Controlled Substances – It is the policy of THA Group to manage all Controlled Substances and offer assistance for disposal of them properly when there is a change in prescription or because of death. The family and patient are given a copy of this policy in the Client Information and Admission Booklet at start of care.
Management and Disposal of Controlled Substances in the Home Form\
Medication Management – THA Group’s medication management processes consist of those functions necessary to facilitate the patient’s safe use of medications in the home. These functions include assessment, teaching, administration, monitoring, labeling, and communicating medication information to the next provider of service. Patient-specific information is readily accessible to clinical staff involved in medication management.
Missed Visits – Every measure will be taken to eliminate missed visits but when these do occur, the physician, family and clinical coordinator will be notified in a timely manner.
Non-Admit Process – It is THA Group’s practice to admit all qualified referrals for service as ordered by the physician. Any decision to not admit a patient is a collaboration and cannot be made independently by staff at any step in the referral/admission process.
Notice of Medicare Non-Coverage Island Health Care
Notice of Medicare Non-Coverage Island Hospice
On-Call Coverage – After hours and weekend on call coverage will be assigned to a designated clinician for in-home assessment of patients with clinical concerns.
Palliative Care – The policy of Island Health Care, Inc. to identify patients who may experience uncontrolled pain and/or other symptoms and who therefore require palliative care.
Patient Care Coordination – All disciplines providing patient care collaborate as needed to ensure continuity of services and promote optimal clinical outcomes.
Personal Care Services – Personal care services are provided to patients as a part of the plan of care to meet activities of daily living and to improve the patient’s quality of life.
Pharmacy Services (Hospice) – Regular and reliable pharmaceutical service is available to provide hospice patients with prescription and nonprescription medications, services, related equipment, and supplies. A written agreement with a contracted pharmacy stipulates financial arrangements and the terms of the services provided.
Pharmacy Services (Hospice) – The Medical Director and attending physician are participating members of the Island Hospice Interdisciplinary Team. The Medical Director assumes the overall responsibility for the medical component of the patient’s care program. The attending physician provides the medical direction of his/her patient. The Medical Director and the attending physician must each be a doctor of medicine or osteopathy licensed in the state.
Physician Orders & Licensure Verification – Orders will be obtained from a licensed physician (or other authorized licensed independent practitioner) for care and services to be provided to home health patients. Orders will be taken only by professional, licensed home health personnel and will be reviewed and/or verified by the clinician prior to implementation.
Physicians Recertification of Terminal Illness for Medicare Hospice Benefit
Physician Services (Hospice) – The Medical Director and Attending Physician are participating members of the Island Hospice Interdisciplinary Team. The Medical Director assumes the overall responsibility for the medical component of the patient’s care program. The Attending Physician provides the medical direction of his/her patient. The Medical Director and the attending physician must each be a doctor of medicine or osteopathy licensed in the state.
Plan of Care – All services delivered to a patient/client are individualized based on identified needs and documented in a written plan of care.
Professional Clinical Supervision & Oversight – Qualified personnel will be available to supervise employees during hours that services are provided. Personnel are available for consultation 24 hours a day.
Postmortem – Patients determined by the attending physician or hospice medical director to have a prognosis indicative of an anticipated death may be pronounced by a registered nurse within the limitation of the state, federal, and local regulations.
Restraints – Nurses provide education to the patient and/or caregiver regarding appropriate indications for, as well as alternatives to, the use of restraints in the home.
Resumption of Care and Recertification – Outlines the process for resumption of care or recertification for continued care.
Spiritual Counselor – All patients, their loved ones and staff members have access to ecumenical and inclusive spiritual support and counseling services. The spiritual counseling department NEVER imposes any particular belief system or religion on a patient or family.
Standards of Practice – THA Group will provide patient care in accordance with the professional staff’s State Practice Acts for acceptable standards of practice and as defined in Agency’s policies and procedures including THA Group’s Value and Ethics Compliance Program.
Suicide Risk Assessment & Prevention – THA Group assesses all patients who meet pre-established criteria for potential suicide risk, and to implement preventive activities as appropriate.
Tele-Teaching Process – THA Group will provide medication and disease process education to patients with identified needs in the most efficient and effective way possible.
Therapy and Nursing Partnership Agreement for Improved Coordination of Care – This policy establishes disease specific practice and documentation guidelines for the THA therapists with the goal of reducing cost of care/hospital re-admissions and to improve coordination of care.
Transfers – When a patient’s needs change significantly and he/she requires care that cannot be provided by THA Group, a transfer/referral to another service provider is made. A transfer may be either planned or unplanned based on the circumstances and events leading to the transfer. A transfer summary is completed for all transfers and sent to the receiving organization in a timely manner.
Universal Precautions & Infection Control
Volunteer Services – Hospice – Island Hospice uses volunteers in both direct patient support and administrative capacities. Direct patient support volunteer roles as desired by the patient and family, are under the supervision of the Hospice Program Director and Hospice Volunteer Coordinator. Volunteers are lay or professional people who contribute their time and talent to Island Hospice without monetary compensation.
Waived Testing – Clinical staff are authorized to perform waived tests in the home environment under the orders of a licensed physician.