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West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Chapter 24

West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Page 177 Chapter 24 Long Term Care

2. Maintain admission policies and procedures which do not require patients to waive their rights to apply for Medicaid benefits and do not require third party guarantee of payment to the facility as a condition of admission to, or continued stay in the facility. 3. Provide information to each patient, patient's family, and/or patient's representative concerning the availability of assets assessments. Advise them that these assets assessments are available upon request at the county Department of Human Services (DOHS) office whether or not they are applying for Medicaid. C. FREE CHOICE Inform each patient of the right to choose a personal attending physician; to be fully informed by the physician of his/her health and medical condition unless medically contraindicated (as documented by a physician in the patient medical record) and of changes in care and treatment. The patient must be offered the opportunity to participate in the planning of his/her total care and medical treatment and participates in experimental research only upon his/her informed written consent. D. TRANSFER AND DISCHARGE RIGHTS Transfers and discharges are made only for medical reasons or for the patient's welfare or that of other patients or for nonpayment for stay in the facility, except as prohibited by the Medicaid Program. In a case where the patient's health improves sufficiently so that services provided by the facility are no longer needed, sufficient notice must be provided to the patient and/or family and for adequate discharge planning. E. PROTECTION OF PATIENT FUNDS Assure the patient's right to manage his/her personal financial affairs; except, upon written authorization by the patient, the facility will accept responsibility for managing and accounting for the patient's personal funds and records of such funds. A full and complete accounting must be made available to patients and their families, and is maintained on a current basis for each patient with written receipts for all personal possessions and funds received by or deposited with the facility and for all disbursements made to or on behalf of the patient. F. FREEDOM FROM RESTRAINTS 1. Assurance of freedom from mental and physical abuse, corporal punishment, involuntary seclusion and freedom from chemical and physical restraints for the purpose of discipline or convenience. Restraints may only be imposed when authorized in writing by a physician for a specific period of time; or, when necessary in an emergency to protect the patient from injury to himself or to others, in which case restraints may be authorized by designated professional personnel who promptly report the action taken to the physician or qualified mental retardation professional for use during behavior modification sessions.