Recipients of home health care in Illinois have certain inalienable rights of privacy guaranteed by the Privacy Act of 1974. Agencies who provide home health care and participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs are required by law to do a complete assessment of your current health status, which includes information which can be used to indicate your progress towards your goals. Home health agencies must use the OASIS – the Outcome and Assessment Information Set to evaluate your health. And to accomplish this, the agency must obtain information from you. This information will be used by the HCFA (Health Care Financing Administration, the government’s Medicare and Medicaid agency) to ensure that your agency meets quality standards, and administers its patients appropriate care. As a patient, you have the right to refuse to provide information to assess your agency. If you choose to provide information for the assessment, it is then protected by the Federal Privacy Act of 1974 and the HHA OASIS – the Home Health Agency Outcome and Assessment Information Set records system. You always have the right to examine, review, copy, and request corrections of your information in the HHA OASIS records system.
Archive for February, 2012
Home Health Care Bill of Rights
February 24th, 2012Home Health Care – What You Need to Know If You Have an Aging Parent
February 24th, 2012As baby boomers continue to age, the influx of aging adults 55 years and older into our society is expected to put a financial strain on our state. Those suffering from Alzheimer’s in San Diego alone are expected to nearly double by 2030. This projection by the California Alzheimer’s Association means that these next 20 years will be a time of great trials for our medical and health care institutions. Alzheimer’s and Dementia are among the most widely spread diseases that rob our aging adults of their independence in a time when their health is most fragile and care is most important. Although researchers of these diseases find themselves hopeful for future treatment and possible reversal of the disease, it is fair to say that until a significant discovery is made, the future looks grim for adult care in California. Most families who would otherwise turn to a nursing home for the care of their aging parents will turn to their families and hourly in home care to watch over their older family members when they cannot.
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