10a NCAC 13K .0604      PATIENT'S RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

(a)  A hospice agency shall provide each patient with a written notice of the patient's rights and responsibilities in advance of furnishing care to the patient or during the initial evaluation visit before the initiation of services. The agency shall maintain documentation showing that each patient has received a copy of his or her rights and responsibilities as defined in G.S. 131E-144.3.

(b)  A hospice agency shall provide patients with a business hours telephone number for information, questions, or complaints about services provided by the agency. The agency shall also provide the Division of Health Service Regulation's complaints intake telephone numbers: within N.C. (800) 624-3004; outside of N.C. (919) 855-4500. The Division of Health Service Regulation shall investigate all allegations of non‑compliance with the rules of this Subchapter.

(c)  A hospice agency shall initiate an investigation within 72 hours of complaints made by a patient or his or her family. Documentation of both the existence of the complaint and the resolution of the complaint shall be maintained by the agency, for a minimum of one-year, in accordance with hospice agency policy and procedures.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 131E‑202;

Eff. February 1, 1996;

Readopted Eff. January 1, 2021.