(1) The administrator shall be responsible for ensuring the development, documentation and implementation of a staffing pattern for all components of a hospice program (inpatient, residential and home-care), which shall be kept in an administrative file.

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    (a) A general staffing plan shall include the rationale for determining staffing requirements, which shall be based on the needs of the patients and their families and shall ensure appropriate care to meet those needs.
    (b) The staffing patterns for contracted inpatient components shall meet or exceed the minimum staffing requirements under which the contracted facility is currently licensed.
    (c) Minimum service provided for routine home care, consistent with the patient’s status and the family’s well-being, shall be a weekly telephone contact and a biweekly visit by a registered nurse.
    (2) The administrator shall be responsible for ensuring the development, documentation and implementation of a current plan that delineates cooperative planning, decision-making and documentation by the disciplines represented in the members of the hospice care team and which provides the staff with methods of meeting collective and individual responsibilities as outlined and assigned in the plan of care for each patient and family unit. Such policies and procedures shall, at a minimum, include the following:
    (a) Identification of the patient and the patient’s family as the unit of care;
    (b) Identification of the hospice care team as the unit that provides care to the patient and family unit and that is responsible for admission, assessment and the individual plan of care for the patient and the patient’s family in accordance with the requirements of Florida Statutes § 400.6095;
    (c) Methods of controlling the symptoms of terminal illness together with methods of evaluating and studying such methods;
    (d) Methods of teaching the patient and the patient’s family those skills necessary to promote the patient and family relationship and enhance the independence of the patient and family unit; and,
    (e) Methods to ensure that the patient and the patient’s family shall, insofar as practical, define the needs to be addressed in the plan of care, provide significant information and assistance in developing and implementing an effective plan of care, and have access to the written plan of care upon request.
    (3) The administrator shall be responsible for ensuring that the hospice care team:
    (a) Provides a mechanism whereby the patient and the patient’s family shall be able to communicate directly with a member of the hospice care team on a twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week basis.
    (b) Documents all such communication including requests for hospice care and the disposition of such requests.
    (c) Is staffed in such a manner as to be able to receive and respond to such requests and provide interdisciplinary hospice services on a twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week basis.
    (d) Provides continuity of services without interruption through all modes of care delivery in the hospice program. Admission to a hospice program means accessibility to all its hospice core services as described in Florida Statutes § 400.609(1)
    (e) Documents all services provided by the hospice care team in the interdisciplinary care record.
Rulemaking Authority 400.605 FS. Law Implemented Florida Statutes § 400.605. History-New 5-6-82, Formerly 10A-12.09, 10A-12.009, Amended 4-27-94, Formerly 59A-2.009, Amended 6-5-97, Formerly 58A-2.009, 7-1-19.