There is no worse thing than to start any relationship off with falsities, especially when it is in relation to the physical care of a senior. It is always best served for both the facility and resident to have a transparent relationship where both parties are free to honestly communicate the expectations they have for one another. The following regulation is provided by Texas HHSC to ensure there are specific items included in the admitting policies:
RULE 553.41 Standards for Type A and Type B Assisted Living Facilities
Policies for Admission
(d) Resident policies.
(1) Before admitting a resident, facility staff must explain and provide a copy of the disclosure statement to the resident, family, or responsible party. An assisted living facility that provides brain injury rehabilitation services must attach to its disclosure statement a specific statement that licensure as an assisted living facility does not indicate state review, approval, or endorsement of the facility’s rehabilitative services. The facility must document receipt of the disclosure statement.
(2) The facility must provide residents with a copy of the Resident Bill of Rights.
(3) When a resident is admitted, the facility must provide to the resident’s immediate family, and document the family’s receipt of, the DADS telephone hotline number to report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation, as referenced in §92.102 of this chapter (relating to Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation Reportable to DADS).
(4) The facility must have written policies regarding residents accepted, services provided, charges, refunds, responsibilities of facility and residents, privileges of residents, and other rules and regulations.
(5) Each facility must make available copies of the resident policies to staff and to residents or residents’ responsible parties at time of admission. Documented notification of any changes to the policies must occur before the effective date of the changes.
(6) Before or upon admission of a resident, a facility must notify the resident and, if applicable, the resident’s legally authorized representative, of DADS rules and the facility’s policies related to restraint and seclusion.
(e) Admission policies.
(1) A facility must not admit or retain a resident whose needs cannot be met by the facility or who cannot secure the necessary services from an outside resource. As part of the facility’s general supervision and oversight of the physical and mental well-being of its residents, the facility remains responsible for all care provided at the facility. If the individual is appropriate for placement in a facility, then the decision that additional services are necessary and can be secured is the responsibility of facility management with the written concurrence of the resident, resident’s attending physician, or legal representative. Regardless of the possibility of “aging in place” or securing additional services, the facility must meet all Life Safety Code requirements based on each resident’s evacuation capabilities, except as provided in subsection (f) of this section.
(2) There must be a written admission agreement between the facility and the resident. The agreement must specify such details as services to be provided and the charges for the services. If the facility provides services and supplies that could be a Medicare benefit, the facility must provide the resident a statement that such services and supplies could be a Medicare benefit.
(3) A facility must share a copy of the facility disclosure statement, rate schedule, and individual resident service plan with outside resources that provide any additional services to a resident. Outside resources must provide facilities with a copy of their resident care plans and must document, at the facility, any services provided, on the day provided.
(4) Each resident must have a health examination by a physician performed within 30 days before admission or 14 days after admission unless a transferring hospital or facility has a physical examination in the medical record.
(5) The assisted living facility must secure at the time of admission of a resident the following identifying information:
(A) full name of the resident;
(B) social security number;
(C) usual residence (where resident lived before admission);
(D) sex;
(E) marital status;
(F) date of birth;
(G) place of birth;
(H) usual occupation (during most of working life);
(I) family, other persons named by the resident, and physician for emergency notification;
(J) pharmacy preference; and
(K) Medicaid/Medicare number, if available.