Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 007 - ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH › Division 05 - Health Facility Services › Rule 007.05.22-007 - Rules for Home Health Agencies in Arkansas

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
HEALTH FACILITY SERVICES
SECTION
			 1.
PREFACE
These rules have been prepared for the purpose of establishing
				a criterion for minimum standards for the licensure of Home Health Agencies in
				Arkansas that is consistent with current trends in patient care practices. By
				necessity they are of a regulatory nature but are considered to be practical
				minimal design and operational standards for these facilities. These standards
				are not static and are subject to periodic revisions in the future as new
				knowledge and changes in patient care trends become apparent. However, it is
				expected that facilities will exceed these minimum requirements and that they
				will not be dependent upon future revisions in these standards as a necessary
				prerequisite for improved services. Each Home Health Agency has a strong moral
				responsibility for providing optimum patient care and treatment for the
				patients it serves.
SECTION
			 2.
AUTHORITY
The following Rules for Home Health Agencies in Arkansas are
				duly adopted and promulgated by the Arkansas S tate Board of Health pursuant to
				the authority expressly conferred by the laws of the State of Arkansas in Ark.
				Code Ann. § 20-10- 801 et. seq.
SECTION 3.
PURPOSE
In accordance with Ark. Code Ann.§
									20-10-801
				et. seq., rules and minimum standards for home health programs operating in the
				State of Arkansas are hereby established. These rules will ensure high quality
				professional care for patients in their home by providing for the safe,
				appropriate care of all admitted to a home health program regardless of setting
				and shall apply to both new and existing agencies.
SECTION 4.
DEFINITIONS
The following word and terms, when used in these sections,
				shall have the stated meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
				otherwise:
A)
Administrator
-A person who is an agency employee and is a
			 physician, registered nurse, or an individual with at least one year of
			 supervisory or administrative experience in home health care or in related
			 health provider programs.
B)
Aide Assignment Sheet Aide Service Plan
- written assignments
			 developed and supervised by a qualified supervisor for the tasks to be
			 completed by the aide.
C)
Branch Office
- A location or site, other than the Arkansas
			 primary agency's principal office location, from which a home health agency
			 provides services within its geographic service area. The primary agency
			 provides direct support and administrative control of its branches.
D)
Certified Agency
- A home
			 health agency which is primarily engaged in providing skilled nursing services
			 and other therapeutic services and is licensed pursuant to State law. The
			 agency shall meet the Conditions of Participation as a home health agency under
			 Title XVIII of the Social Security Act and the regulations adopted thereunder
			 (42 Code of Federal Regulations 405.1201, et seq.), which regulations are
			 incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
E)
Clinical Manager
- Licensed
			 physician, physical therapist, speech language pathologist, occupational
			 therapist, audiologist, social worker or registered nurse.
F)
Clinical Note
- A dated,
			 written or electronic and signed notation by agency personnel of a contact with
			 a patient including a description of signs and symptoms, treatment and/or
			 medication given, the patient's response, other health services provided, and
			 any changes in physical and/or emotional condition.
G)
Clinical Record
- An accurate
			 account of services provided for each patient and maintained by the
			 agency.
H)
Contractor
- An entity or individual providing services for the agency who does not meet
			 the definition of employee.
I)
Coordinating
- Bringing needed services into a common action,
			 movement or condition of the health of the patient.
J)
Department
- The Arkansas
			 Department of Health, Health Facility Services.
K)
Discharge Summary
- A
			 recapitulation of all services provided by the home health agency before
			 discharge of a patient.
L)
Employee
- Any individual for whom the agency is required to issue
			 a form W-2.
M)
Health
- The condition of being sound in body, mind and spirit, especially freedom
			 from physical disease or pain.
N)
Health Assessment
- A determination of a patient's physical and
			 mental status performed by medical professionals.
O)
Home Health Agency
- Any
			 person, partnership, association, corporation, or other organization, whether
			 public or private, proprietary, or non-profit, that provides a home health
			 service for pay or other consideration in a patient's residence.
P)
Home Health Aide
-A person
			 who provides home health aide services for a person in the home under the
			 supervision of a licensed healthcare professional.
Q)
Home Health Services
- The
			 providing or coordinating of acute, restorative, rehabilitative, maintenance,
			 preventive, or health promotion services through professional nursing or by
			 other therapeutic services such as physical therapy, speech therapy,
			 occupational therapy, medical social services, home health aide or personal
			 services in a client's residence.
R)
Licensed Practitioner
- An
			 individual permitted by law and by the Home Health Agency to prescribe
			 care.
S)
Maintenance
-
			 To keep in an existing state.
T)
Parent Agency
- The Medicare certified agency physically located
			 within the state that develops and maintains administrative control of
			 branches.
U)
Patient Care
			 Conference
- A documented conference among the home health agency staff
			 or contractors providing care to a patient to evaluate patient care needs and
			 the delivery of service.
V)
Personal Care
- Medically prescribed health related assistance in
			 activities of daily living, hygiene and grooming.
W)
Personal Care Aide
- A person
			 with training as defined in Section 10. B. who provides personal care services
			 for a person in their home.
X)
Physician
- A person who is currently licensed under the Arkansas
			 Medical Practices Act.
Y)
Place of Business
- Any office of a home health agency that
			 maintains home health service patient records or directs home health
			 services.
Z)
Plan of
			 Care
- A written plan which specifies scope, frequency and duration of
			 services that is signed by a qualified practitioner.
AA)
Preventive
- To keep from
			 happening or existing.
BB)
Quality of Care
- Clinically competent care which, supported and
			 directed in a planned pattern to achieve maximum dignity at the required level
			 of comfort, preventive health measures and self-management.
CC)
Rehabilitative
- To restore
			 or bring to a condition of health or useful and constructive
			 activity.
DD)
Residence
- A place where a person resides, including a home,
			 nursing home, residential care facility or convalescent home for the disabled
			 or aged.
EE)
Restorative
- Something that serves to restore to consciousness,
			 vigor or health.
FF)
Service
			 Area
- The land area for which the agency shall be licensed, which shall
			 be consistent with their Certification of Need (CON) or Permit of Approval
			 (POA) and up to 100-miles of the primary and/or branch office.
GG)
Skilled Care Services
-
			 Includes skilled nursing services, physical therapy, respiratory therapy
			 services, speech-language pathology services, occupational therapy, medical
			 social work services, and physician services,
HH)
Skilled Professional
- a
			 person licensed and trained to provide skilled services according to their
			 applicable licensing board.
II)
Supervision
-Authoritative procedural guidance by a qualified
			 person, acting within his or her applicable scope of practice to a function or
			 activity.
JJ)
Supervisor
-A skilled professional or one who has completed two
			 years of fulltime study at an accredited institution of higher education. An
			 individual who has a high school diploma or GED may substitute one (1) year of
			 full time employment in a supervisory capacity in a healthcare facility or
			 communitybased agency for one (1) year at an institution of higher
			 education.
KK)
Visit
-
			 a face-to-face visit in the client's residence or by the use of information
			 technology.