South Jersey Healthcare - Hospice Patients Rights

You have the right:

to be treated with dignity, courtesy, consideration and respect for your person and property;
to privacy, including, but not limited to, auditory and visual privacy, in all your care, treatment, communications and daily activities;
to be free from restraints, unless prescribed by your physician for a limited
period of time to protect you or others from injury;
to be free from mental and physical abuse, and from exploitation;
to treatment and services without discrimination based on race, age, religion, national origin,
sex, sexual preferences, handicap, diagnosis, ability to pay, or source of payment;
to retain and exercise to the fullest extent possible all your constitutional, civil,
and legal rights, including religious liberties, the right to independent personal decision,
and the right to give advance instruction for your health care in the event you later become
unable to make decisions for yourself.

General Information

You have the right to be informed in writing:

of the services available from the hospice;
of the names and professional status of personnel providing and/or responsible for your care;
of the hospice’s daytime and emergency telephone numbers.

You have the right to receive, as soon as possible, the services of a translator or interpreter to help you communicate with health care personnel.

Participation in Planning Care and Treatment

Before care begins, and throughout the course of your care you have the right: to a clear explanation of your plan of care;

to participate in the planning of your care and treatment and any changes in your care plan;
to be informed in writing of the disciplines that will furnish your care, and the proposed frequency of their visits;
to be given a clear explanation of the expected results and reasonable alternatives for care;
to receive the care and services as ordered in a continuous, consistent and timely manner;

If this information would be detrimental to your health or beyond your ability to understand, the explanation will be given to a family member or legal representative.
You may refuse services, including medication and treatment provided by this hospice and you will be informed of available hospice treatment options, including the option of no treatment, and of the possible benefits and risks of each option.
You may refuse to participate in experimental research. If you choose to participate, your written, informed consent will be obtained.
You are entitled to discharge yourself from treatment by this hospice.
If this hospice cannot meet your needs, you have the right to be told, in advance, of your transfer and when and why care will be stopped.

Confidentialality

You have the right:

to have your medical record and all information about yourself, your care and the services you receive from the hospice kept confidential. Information in your records will not be released to anyone outside the hospice without your written approval, unless it is required by law or by third party contract;
to confidentiality concerning your treatment and disclosures.

Financial Information

You have the right to receive full information about financial arrangements:

Fees and charges, including any fees and charges for services not covered by sources of third party payment;
Copies of written records of financial arrangements;
Notification of any additional charges, expenses, or other financial liabilities in excess of the predetermined fee; and
Description of agreements with third-party payors and/or other payors and referral systems for patient’s financial assistance.

Questions and Concerns

You have the right to express grievances regarding care and services to the hospice’s staff and governing authority without fear of reprisal, and to receive an answer to those grievances within a reasonable period of time.

We want to make sure that your rights are respected and enforced because your well-being and satisfaction with our services are very important to us. However, should you have questions, concerns or complaints which we have not addressed to your satisfaction, you may contact the following agency:

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
Inspection, Processing and Regulatory Development Program
P.O. Box 360
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0360
1-800-792-9770