Pennsylvania Code › Title 28 - HEALTH AND SAFETY › Part IV - Health Facilities › Subpart G - Home Health Care Agencies › Chapter 601 - HOME HEALTH CARE AGENCIES › GENERAL PROVISIONS › Section 601.6 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter,
						have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
						otherwise:
Act
-The Health Care Facilities Act
						(35
						P. S. §§
												448.101-448.904).
Administrator
-A person who performs the
						functions as outlined in §
											601.21(d)
						(relating to organization, services and administration) and is one of the
						following:
(i) A licensed
					 physician.
(ii) A registered
					 nurse.
(iii) Has training and
					 experience in health service administration and at least 1 year of supervisory
					 or administrative experience in home health care or related health
					 programs.
Agency
-An administrative unit that is
						responsible financially and legally.
Bylaws
-A set of rules adopted by a home
						health care agency for governing the agency's operation.
Branch office
-A location or site from
						which a home health care agency provides services within a portion of the total
						geographic area served by the parent agency. The term includes an office that
						is part of the home health care agency and is sufficiently accessible to share
						administration, supervision and services in a manner that renders it
						unnecessary for the branch independently to meet the requirements of this
						subpart as a home health care agency.
Clinical note
-A dated written notation
						by a member of the health team, of a single contact with a patient, containing
						a description of signs and symptoms, treatment or drug given, the patient's
						reaction and changes in physical or emotional condition.
Department
-The Department of Health of
						the Commonwealth.
Health team
-Persons associated with the
						agency and assigned to a particular patient to provide services.
Home health aide
-A nonprofessional
						person who has completed a minimum of 60 hours of classroom instruction prior
						to or during the first 3 months of employment. The term includes aides who are
						carefully trained in methods of assisting patients to achieve maximum
						self-reliance, principles of nutrition and meal preparation, the aging process
						and emotional problems of illness, changes in patient's condition that should
						be reported, work of the agency and the health team, ethics, confidentiality
						and record keeping.
Home health care agency
-An organization
						or part thereof staffed and equipped to provide skilled nursing and at least
						one therapeutic service-physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech
						pathology, medical social services or home health aides-to disabled, aged,
						injured or sick persons on a part-time or intermittent basis in their place of
						residence. The term includes an agency that also provides other health-related
						services to protect and maintain persons in their own homes.
Licensed practical nurse
-A practical
						nurse who holds a current and valid license to practice in this Commonwealth
						under the Practical Nurse Law (63 P. S. §§
												651-667).
Occupational therapist
-A person who is
						currently licensed as an occupational therapist in this Commonwealth under the
						Occupational Therapy Act (63 P. S. §§
												1501-1519).
Occupational therapy assistant
-A person
						who is currently licensed as an occupational therapy assistant in this
						Commonwealth under the Occupational Therapy Practice Act (63 P. S. §§
												1501-1519).
Parent home health care agency
-The
						agency that develops and maintains administrative control of subunits or branch
						offices. The term includes a subdivision which has subunits or branches.
Part-time intermittent service
-Services
						which are provided for less than 8 hours a day or less than 40 hours a
						week.
Pharmacist
-A person who is currently
						licensed as a pharmacist in this Commonwealth under the Pharmacy Act
						(63
						P. S. §§
												390-1-390-13).
Physical therapist
-A person who is
						currently licensed as a physical therapist in this Commonwealth under the
						Physical Therapy Practice Act (63 P. S. §§
												1301-1312).
Physical therapist assistant
-A person
						who is currently registered as a physical therapist assistant in this
						Commonwealth under the Physical Therapy Practice Act (63 P. S.
						§§
												1301-1312).
Physician
-A Doctor of Medicine or
						Doctor of Osteopathy who holds a current and valid license to practice in this
						Commonwealth.
Primary home health care agency
-The
						agency that is responsible for the service rendered to patients and for
						implementation of the plan of treatment.
Progress note
-A dated, written notation
						by a member of the health team summarizing facts about care and the patient's
						response during a given period of time.
Registered nurse
-A person licensed to
						practice professional nursing under The Professional Nursing Law (63 P. S.
						§§
												211-225).
Secretary
-The Secretary of the
						Department.
Skilled nursing service
-High intensity
						comprehensive, planned service provided with maximum efficiency by a registered
						professional nurse in instances where judgment is required, or by a licensed
						practical nurse under the supervision of a registered nurse.
Social work assistant
-A person who has
						a baccalaureate degree in social work, psychology, sociology or other field
						related to social work, or 2 years of social work experience in a health care
						setting.
Social worker
-A person who has a
						master's degree from a school of social work accredited by the Council on
						Social Work Education, and has 1 year of social work experience in a health
						care setting.
Speech pathologist/audiologist
-A person
						who meets one of the following:
(i)
					 The education and experience requirements for a Certificate of Clinical
					 Competence in the appropriate area-speech pathology or audiology-granted by the
					 American Speech and Hearing Association.
(ii) The educational requirements for
					 certification and is in the process of accumulating the supervised experience
					 required for certification.
Subdivision
-A component of a
						multi-function health agency, such as the home care department of a hospital or
						the nursing division of a health department, which independently meets the
						requirements of this subpart for home health care agencies.
Subunit
-A semi-autonomous organization,
						which serves patients in a geographic area different from that of the parent
						agency.
Summary report
-A compilation of the
						pertinent factors from the clinical notes and progress notes regarding a
						patient, which is submitted as to the patient's physician.