Silver Home Care

Client Rights & Responsibilities

Introduction

At Silver Home Care, we are committed to providing care that respects your dignity, privacy, and individual needs. This document outlines your rights as a client, your responsibilities, and the agency's responsibilities to you. By understanding these guidelines, we can work together to create a supportive and respectful environment that ensures your well-being and satisfaction.

Rights to Dignity, Respect, and Non-Discrimination

All individuals have the right to always be treated with dignity and respect. Both clients and Direct Care Workers are entitled to an environment free from discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, disability, or any other protected status. Mutual respect, including respect for property, is essential to maintaining a positive and professional relationship. Direct Care Workers are prohibited from accepting personal gifts or borrowing items from clients for any reason under any circumstance.

Non-Harassment

Harassment of any kind, including verbal, physical, emotional, or sexual, is prohibited. Both clients and Direct Care Workers have the right to a harassment-free environment where mutual respect is upheld.

Compliance with the ADA and Reasonable Accommodations

Silver Home Care complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Reasonable accommodations will be made to ensure the comfort and safety of both clients and Direct Care Workers. Please inform us if you require any reasonable accommodations to ensure services are provided safely and comfortably.

Clients Have the Right To:

  1. Consent to or refuse service.
  2. Be cared for by qualified, competent, and trained personnel.
  3. Receive complete information about his/her service plan, as developed jointly with this Agency.
  4. Have full access to the care record maintained by this Agency.
  5. Be treated with courtesy, dignity, and respect.
  6. Be spoken to or communicated with in a manner or language they can understand.
  7. Receive privacy and confidentiality about their health, social, and financial circumstances and what takes place in their homes, in accordance with laws and Agency policies.
  8. Speak freely without fear.
  9. Be free from involuntary confinement and from physical or chemical restraints.
  10. Be free from abuse, neglect, exploitation, intimidation, and restraints.
  11. Report all instances of potential abuse, neglect, or exploitation, involving any employee of the Agency, to the Elder Abuse Hotline.
  12. Receive service in a manner that recognizes their individuality and is sensitive to and responds to their needs and preferences, including preferences based on ethnic, spiritual, linguistic, familial and cultural factors.
  13. Receive service without regard to race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, creed, religion, disability and familial/cultural factors.
  14. Express complaints verbally or in writing about services or care that is or is not furnished, or about the lack of respect for your person or property by anyone who is furnishing services on behalf of the Agency.
  15. Be informed of procedures for initiating complaints about the delivery of service or resolving conflict, without fear of reprisal or retaliation.
  16. Be informed of the cost of services and procedures for notifying them of any increase in the cost of services.
  17. Be informed of the laws, regulations, and policies of the Agency.
  18. Be provided with the name, certification, and staff position of all persons supplying, staffing or supervising the care and services you receive.
  19. Be informed of where ownership lies for any equipment/supplies provided in the provision of services.
  20. Have their property treated with respect.
  21. Participate in the development of a plan for their care and receive an explanation of any services proposed, changes in service, and alternative services that may be available.
  22. Receive written information on the care plan, including the names of the Direct Care Workers and supervisor assigned and the Agency's phone number.
  23. Provide input on which Direct Care Worker they want and request a change of Direct Care Worker, if desired.
  24. Expect that the Agency will only release information about them if they have given authorization and/or if it is a requirement of law.
  25. Receive notice of any changes in their service, within an agreed-upon amount of time, prior to the changes taking place.
  26. Be informed, with at least 10-days' notice, of the Agency's plans to terminate services unless the reason for the termination is due to nonpayment or DCW safety.

The Agency is Responsible To:

  1. Ensure that Home Care Workers meet the Department of Health competency requirements.
  2. Review Home Care Workers' competency at least annually and more often, if indicated.
  3. Document face-to-face interviews with all home care workers and independent contractors.
  4. Provide ongoing, competent, and appropriate supervision of Home Care Workers.
  5. Carry general liability, professional liability, and other insurances as necessary.
  6. Meet the standards of Worker's Compensation.
  7. Conduct criminal background checks and child abuse clearances, if applicable, on all staff and maintain documentation confirming these clearances have been done.
  8. Advise clients whether the Home Care Worker is an employee of the Agency or is an independent contractor.
  9. Ensure home care service delivery standards are met.
  10. Ensure federal, state, county and municipal legalities are researched and applied.
  11. Adhere to labor regulations.
  12. Develop contingency plans.
  13. Make deductions for social security, Medicare, and other taxes.
  14. Conduct needs assessments, with the client's/family's input.
  15. Develop service plans with the client's/family's input.
  16. Consult with relative professionals regarding the service plan (as required).
  17. Be part of, or coordinate, a healthcare team to provide for the client's needs, as indicated.
  18. Establish goals with the client/client's representative's input and strive to meet these goals.
  19. Provide clients with written documentation of:
    • The services that will be provided
    • Names of the Home Care Workers assigned
    • Hours when services will be provided
    • Fees for services and total costs
  20. Maintain the client's/family's confidentiality, privacy and dignity.
  21. Maintain professionalism and a code of ethics.
  22. Avoid inflicting its personal values and standards onto clients.
  23. Be alert for and report signs of elder abuse.
  24. Ensure staff and Independent Contractors are exposed to clients undergo screening tests to ensure they do not have an infectious disease such as Tuberculosis.
  25. When requested, ensure clients have access to all service invoices pertaining to their service, regardless of whether the bills are paid out-of-pocket or by another party.
  26. Provide clients with the Department of Health's telephone number for registering complaints.
  27. Ensure that staff do not assume Power of Attorney or Guardianship over any client who is receiving services from the Agency.
  28. Ensure that clients do not endorse checks over to the Agency.
  29. Carry out its responsibilities.

The Client is Responsible To:

  1. Provide complete information about matters relating to your health and abilities when it could influence the care you are being given.
  2. Know your medical history and have details on any medications being taken.
  3. Accept the consequences of your own decisions.
  4. Report unexpected changes in your condition.
  5. Request information about anything that they do not understand.
  6. Contact the Agency with any concerns or problems regarding services.
  7. Follow service plans and/or express any concerns about the service plan.
  8. Accept the consequences, if the service plan is not followed.
  9. Follow the terms and conditions of the service agreement.
  10. Notify the Agency, in advance, of any changes to the work schedule.
  11. Inform the Agency of the existence of, and any changes to, advance directives.
  12. Report any potential risks that might exist to the Home Care Worker such as the possibility that a client/family member might have a contagious illness or condition.
  13. Be considerate of property belonging to the Agency and/or Home Care Worker.
  14. Ensure that Home Care Workers are free from any form of intimidation, physical/sexual/verbal/mental/emotional/material/financial abuse.
  15. Respect the dignity and privacy of the Home Care Worker.
  16. Avoid asking the Agency staff to act outside the law, in the delivery of service.
  17. Notify the Agency of any changes being made to your contact information such as address or phone number.
  18. Advise the Agency of any changes being made to your healthcare professionals (e.g., physician, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, dietician, registered nurse, etc.).
  19. Notify the Agency of any changes in insurance coverage for home care services.
  20. Pay bills according to agreed-upon rates and timeframes.
  21. Assume financial responsibility for all materials, supplies, and equipment required for your care, which are not covered by other parties.
  22. Provide a safe environment for care and services to be delivered.
  23. Exercise a reasonable level of discretion and confidentiality in regard to service/treatment records that are kept in the home.
  24. Give reasonable notice, when possible, if service is going to be cancelled.
  25. Keep all weapons in the home away from the work area during visits made by the Home Care Workers.
  26. Secure aggressive or menacing pets before the Home Care Worker enters the home.
  27. Provide a smoke-free environment when Home Care Worker is present.

Acknowledgment

By signing below, I acknowledge that I have received, read, and understand the Client Rights and Responsibilities document provided by Silver Home Care.

Client / Representative Signature:

Date:

Print Name:

Sign Online

Questions? Call 1-800-719-6912 or Contact Us

To file a complaint with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, call 1-800-254-5164.

Document Version 1.0 | Effective January 2025