GRIEVANCE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy:

The agency responds appropriately to all complaints by client’s and their families.

Purpose:

1. To ensure quality home care services by appropriately handling client complaints and grievances. 2. To provide a vehicle for early identification of problems. .

Procedure:

1.    Home Care agency staff will:

a)    Listen attentively and courteously to complaints expressed by patients/clients.

b)    Seek to clarify and understand the nature of patient/client complaints.

c)    Encourage clients to contact the Administrator or the Home Care Supervisor regarding complaints that cannot be resolved by agency staff.

d)    Report complaints directly to the Administrator or the Home Care Supervisor.

2.    The Administrator will:

a)    Review all client and family complaints as they are received.

b)    Seek to clarify and discuss complaints with appropriate staff.

c)    Contact the client or family to seek clarification regarding the complaint.

d)    Initiate as soon as reasonable a problem solving process to resolve the complaint.

e)    Evaluate and implement appropriate resolution actions as appropriate.

3.    Problems will be reviewed within fourteen (14) business days of receiving a complaint and resolved within thirty (30) days.  The Administrator may request that complaints filed by clients and or family members be made in writing.

4.    Client complaints will be documented and maintained in an administrative file.

5.    Client complaints, which are quality indicators, are reviewed as part of the performance improvement process.

6.    Clients will be informed of the method for contacting the Department of Health, using the toll-free hot-line number, if complaints and concerns cannot be resolved through the agency.  Clients will be informed of the agency’s complaint and grievance policy and procedure at the time of admission for home care services.