Non-discrimination Policy

At Solidarity Home Healthcare services, LLC. we treat all patients without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, disability or age.

---

Patient Grievance policy

A grievance is a concern relating to patient care conditions or to relationships between a patient and the Agency or a caregiver in which the patient believes that he/she has been wronged and wants the wrong corrected. It is regarding problem areas in the delivery of care which appear to threaten the health and well-being of the patient.

Your complaints or problems are important to the Agency. We will give full consideration to a problem or complaint and make an effort to resolve the issue in an agreeable manner. We assure you that you will have the opportunity to voice grievances and recommend changes in services and/or policies without discrimination, coercion, reprisal, or unreasonable interruption of services or reprisal in any manner from the Agency.

Solidarity Home Healthcare services, LLC. will investigate any complaint made by the patient or patient’s family or guardian regarding care that is (or fails to be) furnished, or regarding the lack of respect for the patient’s property by anyone furnishing services on behalf of the Agency. Both the existence of the complaint and the resolution of the complaint will be documented. All complaints/grievances are retained for a minimum of three years.

If you have a complaint about services or care that is or is not furnished, or about the lack of respect for the client‘s  person or property by anyone furnishing services on behalf of the Agency, please:1)

Submit the complaint either verbally or in writing to the Administrator or Supervisor. If you call after normal business hours, you will be contacted by the Administrator on the next business day.2)

The Administrator or Supervisor will contact you or your representative and will make every effort to resolve the complaint to your satisfaction. They will document all activities involved with the grievance/complaint/concern, investigation, analysis and resolution. You will be notified of the Administrator’s decision within ten (10) days.3)

If the complaint cannot be resolved to your satisfaction, you may request that the Administrator submit your complaint to the Agency Board of Directors/Governing Body.

---

Confidentiality of Patient Information (HIPAA)

The HIPAA Privacy ensures that personal medical information shared with physicians, hospitals and others who provide, and pay for, healthcare is protected. The Privacy Rule does the following:

• 1)Imposes new restrictions on the use and disclosure of personal health information.
• 2)Gives patients greater access to their medical records.
• 3)Gives patients greater protections of their medical records.

Solidarity Home Healthcare services, LLC. is required by law to comply with the HIPAA policy to maintain the privacy of protected health information, to provide you adequate notice of your rights and our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information and to notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured protected health information. We will use or disclose protected health information in a manner that is consistent with this notice.

The agency maintains a record (paper/electronic file) of the information we receive and collect about you and of the care we provide to you.

As required by law, the agency maintains policies and procedures about our work practices, including how we coordinate care and services provided to our patients. These policies and procedures include how we create, receive, access, transmit, maintain and protect the confidentiality of all information in our workforce and with contracted business associates and/or subcontractors; security of the agency building and electronic files; and how we educate staff on privacy of patient information.

---

Communication barriers and cultural considerations

To provide optimal quality care to our patients/clients, Solidarity Home Healthcare services, LLC. will facilitate communication with sensory-impaired patients/clients and patients/clients with limited formal education. The Agency shall attempt to arrange for bilingual staff members or an interpreter to work with non-English speaking patients/clients.