Your RIGHTS As a Patient

Patient Rights
In the State of Texas, you have certain legal rights as a patient. As a home health care agency, we are required by federal law to provide you with a written packet of information concerning your rights as a patient inlcuding information about advance directives. This information is not intended to be a comprehensive discussion of all of your rights as a patient or of those rights themselves. If you have any questions concerning any matters contained in the packet, you can contact us or consult with your attorney and physician.

Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities
This Bill of Rights includes your right to:

Be treated with dignity and respect;

Lodge complaints (See below how to report a complaint;

Be informed and involved in decision making regarding your care;

Have Advance Directives;

Your privacy rights;

Your rights related to financial information;

Your rights t have high quality care.

As a Patient you have the responsibility to keep the agency informed; provide a safe environment; and follow the plan of care.

Rights of Elderly
This is Texas Human Resources code 102.003. It further details patient/client rights discharge from services. These rights are detailed in the Appendix of this Handbook.

Rights to Complaint
We desire to provide a hight quality of service. Therefore, we have developed a system to handle all complaints.

If you have a complaint, please call our office at 817-461-3341 and ask to speak to one of the supervisor.

The supervisor will discuss any problems with you in order to answer any of your questions and to obtain sufficient information for us to investigate your concerns.

Following investigation, the supervisor will contact you regarding findings and any actions that were taken to resolve the problem.

If a complaint cannot be resolved, it will be referred to administration.

The following agency may also be contacted if Allstar Healthcare, Inc. does not respond to your concerns:

DEPARTMENT OF AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES
PO BOX 149030, MAIL CODE 9181
AUSTIN, TEXAS 78714-9030
TEL: 1-800-458-0959 (Answered 24 Hours)

Informed Consent
Every person in the State of Texas has the right to be informed about his or her medical condition and treatment options. Each person can refuse or consent to any given medical procedure or course of treatment. As a patient, you have the right to be told about the nature and severity of your medical condition, the treatment options for that condition, the risks associated with a given course of treatment, and alternative treatment options including the refusal of treatment. You may refuse treatment at any time. It is generally the rule that a patient must be informed of these matters before the patient can consent to a given course of treatment or a specific procedure. The informed consent of a patient is generally required before beginning a given course of medical treatment.

Advance Directives
The State of Texas also provides that a person can execute documents that are commonly referred to as Advance Directives, which include:

(1) Directive to Physicians (also known as Living Will) informs people about your wishes regarding end-of-life care.

(2) Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care appoints a person(s) to make medical decisions for you when you are unable to make these decisions for yourself.

(3) Out of Hospital Do Not Resuscitate Order (also known as DNR Order) allows people to decide that they do not want to be resuscitated if they stop breathing and their hearts stop beating. The program allows people to declare that certain resuscitative measures will not be used on them.

When you start servces with Allstar Healthcare, we will ask if you have made an Advance Directive. It is not required that you do, but it will give you peace of mind to know your wishes will be known regarding end of life care, if you are unable to make the decisions yourself.

Allstar Healthcare staff will comply with your legally executed Advance Directive including withholding artificial nutrition. Life-sustaining procedures will not be withheld or withdrawn from pregnant patients. Treatments/procedures that are against Texas laws will not be implemented including but not limited to physician assited suicide.

Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation
Allstar Healthcare, Inc. educates staff regarding indications of Abuse, Neglect or Exploitation and to appropriately report possible occurrences.

If you suspect abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a client, contact the Director of Professional Services, Director of Nurses, Director of Therapy or administrative staff immediately, stating clearly that you are reporting a suspected cause of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, and reporting at least the following:

Name, age and address of client

Name and address of responsible person

The client's condition

The basis of your knowledge

Any other relevant information

Our staff members will report any sign of abuse, neglect or exploitation.

The Director of Professional Services or designee will review the case, make a report to appropriate person at DHS and complete agency Occurence Reports. Report abuse as follows:
Texas Department of Family and Protective Hotline: 1-800-252-5400
Texas Department of Family and Protective Secure Website: www.txabusehotline.org

If it is an emergency contact local law enforcement or dial 9-1-1.

Self Reporting
If a staff member is ever involved in abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a client, the staff memember will be on leave until the situation is investigated and the Agency will self report the occurence as above.