Florida Home Care Policy and Procedure Manual
For Florida agencies that give non-skilled care at home: home health agencies licensed by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) for non-skilled services only, and homemaker and companion services, which register with AHCA instead of holding a license. The manual has 50 policies and 56 forms, including client forms in English and Spanish, written to Chapters 400 and 408, Florida Statutes, and Rule 59A-8 of the Florida Administrative Code. Each policy says which duties apply only to a licensed agency, opens with a plain-English summary and names the rule it follows, and every one is filled in with your agency's details. You get Word and PDF files to keep, and your staff sign off on their phones.
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Florida · Home care
50 policies written to the Florida rules, with 56 forms. Every one is filled in with your agency's details.
- A plain-English summary first
- The rule each policy follows
- Word and PDF downloads, yours to keep
- Policies
- 50
- Forms
- 56
- Categories
- 13
- Policy Pack · required
- $700one-timeIncludes 90 days in the portal with Premium. To keep it open after that, Premium is $79 a month or $790 a year.
Read before you buy
3 free sample policies, shown in full for a sample agency.
FL-HC-CMP-01Free sample
Client rights
Complaints and Grievances
Sets how clients, families and others make complaints and grievances to the Agency, how the Agency acknowledges them within 5 and resolves them in writing within 30 (the Agency's own standards; no Florida rule sets these times), how abuse allegations go to the Florida Abuse Hotline first, the right to complain to AHCA at any time and the other outside routes, freedom from retaliation, the complaint log, and how complaints feed the quality program.
Read the full policy FL-HC-CR-02Free sample Client rightsFirst-Day Notice of the Right to Report Complaints, Abuse, and Medicaid Fraud
The policy s. 408.810(5)(b), F.S., requires: on or before the first day services are provided, the Agency tells each client, and the client's immediate family or representative if appropriate, of the right to report complaints, abuse, neglect or exploitation, and suspected Medicaid fraud, using the exact statutory words and the statewide toll-free numbers, in a clearly legible notice that the client signs for on Form FL-HC-CR-02-A.
Read the full policy FL-HC-IC-01Free sample Infection controlInfection Control, Standard Precautions, and Facial Coverings
Sets the infection control practices every staff member uses in clients' homes: hand hygiene, gloves and other protective equipment, bag technique and cleaning of equipment, household cleaning, laundry and dishes, sharps the client uses, household waste, respiratory hygiene and illness, and outbreaks. States Florida's limits on requiring facial coverings, the facial covering policy the Agency must adopt and publish before it requires one in any case, and the limits on vaccination requirements.
Read the full policy
Florida rules
What Florida's rules ask your policies to cover
- First-day notices. On or before the first day of service each client is told, in the words the law sets, how to report a complaint, abuse, neglect or exploitation, and suspected Medicaid fraud. s. 408.810(5), F.S.
- Services on the license. Only the services listed on the license or registration. Homemakers and companions may not give hands-on personal care. s. 400.464(1), F.S.; s. 400.462(8) and (22), F.S.
- Background screening. Level 2 screening through AHCA's Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse, and no client contact until the person is found eligible. s. 408.809, F.S.; s. 435.06(2)(a), F.S.
- Dementia training. Written information at hire, a 1-hour course within 30 days for staff who give personal care or have regular contact with clients, and 2 more hours within 7 months for staff who give personal care, homemakers and companions included. s. 430.5025(4), F.S.
- Abuse reporting. Suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult or a child is reported immediately to the Florida Abuse Hotline. s. 415.1034, F.S.; s. 39.201, F.S. for children
- Emergency management. A licensed agency keeps a comprehensive emergency management plan in AHCA's format, updated each year, and a current list of clients prioritized for care in an emergency. s. 400.492, F.S.; Rule 59A-8.027, F.A.C.
Questions a surveyor may ask
Every policy lists questions a surveyor may ask about it, so your staff can practice the answers. A few from this manual:
Read me the three statements on your notice. Are the numbers current?FL-HC-CR-02First-Day Notice of the Right to Report Complaints, Abuse, and Medicaid Fraud
If you hold only a registration, who bathes your clients?FL-HC-SVC-02Scope of Services by License Type
When did this aide first see a client, and when did you receive the eligible result?FL-HC-HR-02Level 2 Background Screening and the Clearinghouse
What is the number for the Florida Abuse Hotline? Do you call it yourself or tell your supervisor?FL-HC-ANE-01Reporting Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults and Children
Show me where this client was told about the special needs registry and what the client plans to do in a hurricane.FL-HC-EP-02Special Needs Clients, the Special Needs Registry, and Services During Emergencies
The full pack
Browse all 50 policies
Search by title, policy number or rule. Open any policy to see its summary, the rules it follows and what is inside.
All 50 policies
Client rights5
FL-HC-CMP-01Free sample
Complaints and Grievances
Sets how clients, families and others make complaints and grievances to the Agency, how the Agency acknowledges them within 5 and resolves them in writing within 30 (the Agency's own standards; no Florida rule sets these times), how abuse allegations go to the Florida Abuse Hotline first, the right to complain to AHCA at any time and the other outside routes, freedom from retaliation, the complaint log, and how complaints feed the quality program.
s. 408.810(5)(a)1, F.S.
FL-HC-CR-01
Client Rights and Responsibilities
Sets out the rights of every client and what the Agency asks of clients, built from the Florida statutes and rules that bind home health agencies and registrants (s. 400.487, s. 408.810(5) and s. 408.811(6)(b), F.S.; Rules 59A-8.020, 59A-8.022(2) and 59A-8.0245, F.A.C.), HIPAA where it applies, and the Agency's own standards, each labeled by source. The notice is explained and signed on Form FL-HC-CR-01-A on or before the first day of services.
s. 400.487(4), F.S.
FL-HC-CR-02Free sample
First-Day Notice of the Right to Report Complaints, Abuse, and Medicaid Fraud
The policy s. 408.810(5)(b), F.S., requires: on or before the first day services are provided, the Agency tells each client, and the client's immediate family or representative if appropriate, of the right to report complaints, abuse, neglect or exploitation, and suspected Medicaid fraud, using the exact statutory words and the statewide toll-free numbers, in a clearly legible notice that the client signs for on Form FL-HC-CR-02-A.
s. 408.810(5), F.S.
FL-HC-CR-03
Nondiscrimination, Language Access, and Effective Communication
Makes sure the Agency can communicate with every client so that services can be given safely, as Rule 59A-8.020(1), F.A.C., requires, through staff or interpreters who speak the client's language or through technology that translates; serves clients without discrimination; and, where Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act applies, meets 45 CFR Part 92 on qualified interpreters, translation, auxiliary aids, reasonable modifications, notices, a Section 1557 Coordinator, grievances and training.
Rule 59A-8.020(1), F.A.C.
FL-HC-CR-04
Advance Directives and Do Not Resuscitate Orders
States the Agency's position on advance directives, as Rule 59A-8.0245, F.A.C., requires; gives each adult client, in advance of services, AHCA's advance directive brochure or another written description of Florida law and the Agency's policy; records whether the client has an advance directive and keeps a copy or a record of the request; never conditions services on executing or waiving one; and tells staff exactly when cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is withheld because a valid Do Not Resuscitate Order is present.
Rule 59A-8.0245, F.A.C.
Service delivery11
FL-HC-ADM-01
Referral, Intake, and Acceptance of Clients
Sets out how the Agency handles referrals, screens and visits prospective clients, and decides whether to accept them: only when there is a reasonable expectation that the services can be provided safely in the client's residence, the services and county are on the Agency's license or registration, staff can communicate with the client, and all assigned visits can be staffed. Lists the documents completed on or before the first day of services, including written consent to RN supervisory visits for aide services.
Rule 59A-8.020(1), F.A.C.
FL-HC-ADM-02
Written Service Agreement and Service Provision Plan
Requires a written service agreement, signed and dated by the Agency and the client or legal representative at the start of services, that states the services, the rates or charges for private-pay services and the sources of payment (s. 400.487(1), F.S.; Rule 59A-8.020(2), F.A.C.). For non-skilled clients the agreement is the service provision plan, kept 3 years after services end (Rule 59A-8.020(3), F.A.C.; s. 400.491(2), F.S.). Requires the agreement to be updated when services change and to match what is scheduled and delivered.
s. 400.487(1), F.S.
FL-HC-DC-01
Termination of Services, Discharge, and Referral
Sets out when and how the Agency ends services. For a client who needs continuing care, as determined by the client or caregiver, the Agency develops a plan and makes a referral to another provider before termination, and notifies the client in writing of the date of termination, the reason and the plan for continued services (Rule 59A-8.020(4), F.A.C.), on Form FL-HC-DC-01-A, with at least 14 days' notice as the Agency's own standard except for immediate safety reasons. Covers nonpayment, client-initiated endings, closure, records and transfer.
Rule 59A-8.020(4), F.A.C.
FL-HC-SP-01
Client Assessment, Written Assignments, and Changes to Services
Requires each client's needs to be assessed before services start and whenever they change, by the RN supervisor for personal care (licensed agency) or by the Administrator or a designee for homemaker and companion services; requires a written assignment for every home health aide or CNA (Rule 59A-8.0095(5)(l)1., F.A.C.) and a task plan for every homemaker and companion; involves the client in planning (s. 400.487(4), F.S.); and sets when the assignment and plan are reviewed and changed.
Rule 59A-8.0095(3)(b), F.A.C.
FL-HC-SP-02
Coordination of Care and Clients in Assisted Living Facilities
Sets out how the Agency coordinates each client's services with the client's family, physician, managed care plan and other providers, with the client's agreement and within privacy law; how direct care staff report, and supervisors act on, a change in a client's condition; and how the Agency works with assisted living facilities and adult family-care homes under Rule 59A-8.008(5), F.A.C., including the 72-hour report of an unlicensed facility and the fair market value rules for facility arrangements.
Rule 59A-8.008(5), F.A.C.
FL-HC-SUP-01
Registered Nurse Supervision of Aides and Supervisory Visits
Sets how a registered nurse supervises home health aides and CNAs of a licensed home health agency: written client consent to RN visits, visit frequency set by the RN for each client and, as the Agency's own standard, not less often than every 90 days, what happens when a client declines or will not pay for visits, what the RN checks and records at each visit, and how findings are acted on. Also sets supervisory contacts for homemakers and companions under both routes.
s. 400.487(3), F.S.
FL-HC-SUP-02
Registered Nurse Supervisor Availability and After-Hours Contact
The written policy Florida requires of a home health agency that does not provide skilled services on the availability of a registered nurse supervisor during hours of client service: who is available, the monthly availability schedule, how aides reach the RN day and night, what happens when the RN cannot be reached, coverage at satellite offices, and on-call cover for homemaker and companion registrants.
Rule 59A-8.003(9)(d), F.A.C.
FL-HC-SVC-01
Scheduling, Missed Visits, and Backup Coverage
Makes sure each client receives every visit in the service agreement, as Rule 59A-8.020(1), F.A.C. ("This responsibility includes assuring the patient receives all assigned visits.") and Rule 59A-8.025(9), F.A.C., require: schedules built from the agreement and staffed by qualified, cleared staff; call-in rules for late or absent staff; replacement and backup coverage; client notice; logging of every missed or late visit on Form FL-HC-SVC-01-A; and monthly review, because a pattern of failing to provide agreed services is fined $5,000 per occurrence (s. 400.474(5), F.S.).
Rule 59A-8.020(1), F.A.C.
FL-HC-SVC-02
Scope of Services by License Type
Sets out, task by task, what the Agency may provide under a home health agency license limited to non-skilled services (NSHHA) and under a homemaker and companion registration (HMC), what it never provides because it is skilled care, and how intake, scheduling and direct care staff keep every visit inside the services listed on the face of the license or registration.
s. 400.464(1), F.S.
FL-HC-SVC-03
Personal Care by Home Health Aides and Certified Nursing Assistants
Sets how home health aides and certified nursing assistants of a licensed home health agency give personal care: only tasks an RN assigns in writing, the activities of daily living Florida rule describes, the extra tasks a licensed health professional may teach for a specific client, the tasks aides and CNAs never do, safe methods for bathing, transfers, toileting, eating and grooming, and how changes are observed, reported and recorded. Homemaker and companion registrants do not give personal care.
Rule 59A-8.0095(5), F.A.C.
FL-HC-SVC-04
Homemaker and Companion Services
Sets the duties of homemakers and companions under both Florida routes, states plainly that they never give hands-on personal care, and gives procedures for meals, housekeeping, shopping and errands, escorting and transporting clients, medication reminders, reporting changes, and recording services.
Rule 59A-8.0095(12), F.A.C.
Clinical tasks1
Safeguarding3
FL-HC-ANE-01
Reporting Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults and Children
Requires every staff member who knows or suspects that a vulnerable adult or a child is being abused, neglected or exploited to report it personally and immediately to the Florida Abuse Hotline of the Department of Children and Families (s. 415.1034; s. 39.201, F.S.); sets what to report and how, the signs to watch for, what the Agency does when the person suspected is a staff member, the protections for reporters and the penalties for failing to report, and how report records are kept confidential.
s. 415.1034, F.S.
FL-HC-SAF-01
Home Safety, Falls Prevention, and Staff Safety
Sets how the Agency keeps clients and staff safe in the home: a home safety check at the first visit and at supervisory visits, everyday safety on every visit, falls prevention and what to do after a fall (staff never lift a client from the floor), fire, oxygen and heat safety, staff travel and personal safety, hostile behavior and leaving an unsafe home, safe body mechanics, reporting staff injuries, and no restraints.
Rule 59A-8.020(1), F.A.C.
FL-HC-SAF-02
Medical Emergencies, Changes in Condition, and Death in the Home
Sets what staff do in a medical emergency (call 911 first, CPR unless a valid do not resuscitate order is present, stay with the client, call the office), how they handle a do not resuscitate order, how they report changes in condition that are not emergencies, what to do when a client does not answer the door, and what to do when a client is unresponsive or appears to have died, including the duty to report certain deaths to the medical examiner or law enforcement and to leave the scene undisturbed.
Rule 59A-8.0095(5)(c)7, F.A.C.
Infection control2
FL-HC-IC-01Free sample
Infection Control, Standard Precautions, and Facial Coverings
Sets the infection control practices every staff member uses in clients' homes: hand hygiene, gloves and other protective equipment, bag technique and cleaning of equipment, household cleaning, laundry and dishes, sharps the client uses, household waste, respiratory hygiene and illness, and outbreaks. States Florida's limits on requiring facial coverings, the facial covering policy the Agency must adopt and publish before it requires one in any case, and the limits on vaccination requirements.
Rule 59A-8.0095(5)(c)4, F.A.C.
FL-HC-IC-02
Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan
The Agency's written exposure control plan under the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard: which jobs and tasks have occupational exposure, universal precautions and work practices for care in the home, protective equipment at no cost, hepatitis B vaccination offered free within 10 working days of initial assignment with the mandatory declination statement, immediate steps and confidential post-exposure evaluation after an exposure incident, training at assignment and at least annually, the sharps injury log where required, records, and annual review.
29 CFR §1910.1030
Emergency preparedness2
FL-HC-EP-01
Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan
Requires a licensed home health agency to prepare, maintain, update and review each year a comprehensive emergency management plan (CEMP) in the AHCA CEMP format (s. 400.492, F.S.; Rule 59A-8.027, F.A.C.); names the safety liaison; sets the 30-day submission and notice duties of s. 408.821(1), F.S., and county health department review; sets how the plan is activated before, during and after an emergency, how communication continues if phones fail, what happens if the Agency cannot continue services, and staff training and exercises. A homemaker and companion registrant keeps an equivalent plan as the Agency's own standard.
s. 400.492, F.S.
FL-HC-EP-02
Special Needs Clients, the Special Needs Registry, and Services During Emergencies
Sets the client-level emergency duties: telling every client on admission about the county special needs registry and recording whether the client will evacuate or stay and who will provide care; collecting and submitting registration information and giving special needs clients registration information each year; keeping a current prioritized list of clients who need services in an emergency; recording for each registered client how care will continue; leaving a medication, supply and equipment list in the home; continuing the same type and quantity of services in special needs shelters; and documenting good faith efforts when services cannot continue.
Rule 59A-8.027(8), F.A.C.
Records2
FL-HC-RM-01
Client Records, Retention, and Access
Sets what every client record contains under each license route, how long records are kept (three years after services end for the service provision plan of a licensed agency, five years after services for Medicaid records, the longer of the two where both apply), how records are stored and produced for unannounced surveys, how electronic and faxed signatures are handled, how clients inspect and obtain copies of their records, and what happens to records on a change of ownership, a closing, or disposal.
s. 400.491(2), F.S.
FL-HC-RM-02
Service Documentation and Accurate Records
Sets how direct care staff and supervisors document every visit, what a visit record shows, how entries are corrected and late entries made, how records are turned in and reviewed before billing, and the Florida prohibitions on fraudulent records (charting ahead, recording what was not personally observed, borrowing records, falsifying signatures), with the fines a licensed agency faces for patterns of false records, billing for services not provided, and failing to provide agreed services.
s. 400.474(2)(d), F.S.
Privacy3
FL-HC-PRV-01
Confidentiality and HIPAA Privacy
Protects the confidentiality of client information under Florida law (s. 400.494, F.S.; Rule 59A-8.022(2), F.A.C., which requires the client's written consent before information is disclosed from the file) and the HIPAA Privacy Rule; names the privacy official; sets when information may be shared and when written consent or a HIPAA authorization is needed; covers the notice of privacy practices, clients' privacy rights and their federal time limits, everyday privacy rules for staff in clients' homes, business associates, sanctions and mitigation.
s. 400.494(1), F.S.
FL-HC-PRV-02
HIPAA Security and Electronic Records
Sets the administrative, physical and technical safeguards that protect electronic client information under the HIPAA Security Rule: the security official, risk analysis and risk management, workforce access, phones and computers, passwords, e-mail and messaging, electronic records and signatures, the Florida rule that client data stored offsite or in the cloud stays in the continental United States, its territories or Canada (with the licensure affidavit), security incidents, backup and contingency plans, disposal of devices, and six-year documentation.
45 CFR Part 164 Subpart C
FL-HC-PRV-03
Breach Notification
Sets how the Agency recognizes, reports internally, assesses and gives notice of a breach of client information under Florida's data breach law (s. 501.171, F.S.: individuals no later than 30 days, the Department of Legal Affairs within 30 days for 500 or more Floridians, consumer reporting agencies for more than 1,000, vendors to the Agency within 10 days) and, if the Agency is a covered entity, the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule (individuals no later than 60 calendar days after discovery, HHS and the media), meeting the shorter time where both apply.
s. 501.171, F.S.
Human resources9
FL-HC-HR-01
Staffing, Job Descriptions, and Staff Qualifications
Sets the positions the Agency staffs, the minimum qualification for each and when it is verified, the RN's responsibility for personal care tasks assigned to aides, written job descriptions, staffing levels that cover every scheduled visit, and yearly performance evaluation.
Rule 59A-8.0095, F.A.C.
FL-HC-HR-02
Level 2 Background Screening and the Clearinghouse
Requires Level 2 background screening through the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse for owners, the administrator, the financial officer, and every employee and contractor who gives personal care or services to clients or has access to their funds, property or living areas; bars client contact until the person is found eligible; and covers attestations, arrests, exemptions, status reporting within 5 business days, and rescreening every 5 years.
s. 408.809, F.S.
FL-HC-HR-03
Hiring, Employment History, References, and Employment Eligibility
Sets the hiring steps: application, interview and references; verification of employment or contract history (required of homemaker and companion registrants and adopted by the licensed agency as its own standard), with two documented attempts as diligent effort; employment eligibility verification on Form I-9 and, for employers with 25 or more employees, E-Verify within 3 business days; and a conditional offer so no one sees a client before every check is done.
s. 400.509(4), F.S.
FL-HC-HR-04
Personnel Records
Lists what each personnel file must hold, including the screening result and attestation, licenses and certificates, aide training or competency documentation, medication assistance training, CPR, in-service, HIV/AIDS and dementia training records; keeps medical and immigration records separate; prohibits falsified training or health records; and sets retention periods.
Rule 59A-35.090(3)(c), F.A.C.
FL-HC-HR-05
Employee Health, Tuberculosis Screening, and Fitness for Duty
States that Florida law sets no tuberculosis or health statement requirement for home health agency or registrant staff, adopts the CDC's 2019 tuberculosis screening recommendations for health care personnel as the Agency's own standard, sets illness and fitness-for-duty rules, offers vaccines without requiring documentation Florida law forbids employers to require, and keeps health information confidential.
s. 381.00316(3), F.S.
FL-HC-HR-06
Orientation, Required Training, and Training Records
Requires orientation before any client contact and sets the training every staff member must complete under Florida and federal law: dementia information at hire, the 1-hour state dementia course within 30 days and 2 more hours within 7 months for staff who give personal care (including homemaker and companion services), the one-time HIV/AIDS course within 30 days, bloodborne pathogens training, and HIPAA training, with records of each.
s. 430.5025(4), F.S.
FL-HC-HR-07
Contracted Staff, Employee Leasing, and Staffing Services
Keeps the Agency fully responsible for services given by leased employees and contractors: written agreements, the same screening, qualification, training and supervision as employees, at least one service provided directly, and a ban on the referral-linked staffing payments and free staffing that Florida law penalizes; sets the rules for staffing services to facilities.
s. 400.462(10), F.S.
FL-HC-TRN-01
Home Health Aide Training, Competency Test, and CNA Verification
Sets what must be on file before a home health aide or CNA of a licensed home health agency gives any care: Florida CNA certification (or another state's current certificate), or documentation of at least 40 hours of aide training in the 16 subject areas set by rule, or passage of AHCA's Home Health Aide Competency Test; in-person competency validation of training done elsewhere; the 2-hour medication assistance training; and current CPR. Also sets how the Agency teaches the aide course and gives the competency test if it chooses to, and the documentation it issues.
Rule 59A-8.0095(5)(c), F.A.C.
FL-HC-TRN-02
Annual In-Service, CPR, and Dementia Training for Direct Care Staff
Sets the yearly training for direct care staff: in-service training each calendar year and current CPR certification for home health aides and CNAs of a licensed agency, the 2 additional hours of dementia training within 7 months for every employee who gives personal care (including homemaker and companion services), annual bloodborne pathogens training, and, as the Agency's own standard, annual training for homemakers and companions of a registrant. Tracks each item on one form.
Rule 59A-8.0095(5)(k), F.A.C.
Governance4
FL-HC-GOV-01
License or Registration, Governing Body, and Adoption of Policies
Sets out the AHCA authorization under which the Agency operates (a home health agency license limited to non-skilled services, or a homemaker and companion registration), keeps the Agency within the services and counties on that license, names the governing body as legally responsible for the operation, and sets how policies are adopted, made available and reviewed.
s. 400.464(1), F.S.
FL-HC-GOV-02
Administrator, Alternate Administrator, and Office Availability
Requires the governing body to appoint a qualified Administrator and to designate in writing a qualified Alternate Administrator, both screened before appointment; sets the hours the Administrator or alternate must be available to the public; sets what happens when a surveyor arrives; and requires changes of administrator to be reported to AHCA within 21 days.
s. 400.476(1), F.S.
FL-HC-GOV-03
AHCA Inspections, Complaint Investigations, and Plans of Correction
Sets how the Agency cooperates with AHCA licensure surveys, follow-up surveys, complaint investigations and off-site record reviews; explains deficiency classes and fines; requires correction of deficiencies within 30 calendar days and a plan of correction within 10 calendar days when AHCA requires one; and keeps inspection reports for three years and available to clients on request.
s. 408.811, F.S.
FL-HC-GOV-04
License Renewal, Reporting Changes, Change of Ownership, and Closing
Keeps the license or registration current: renewal 60 to 120 days before expiration through the AHCA portal with the workforce survey and attestations; changes reported within 21 days; address, county, office and service changes requested in advance; change of ownership notice at least 60 days ahead; and an orderly closing with at least 30 days' notice to AHCA, notice to clients, and arrangements for records.
s. 408.806, F.S.
Quality2
FL-HC-INC-01
Incidents, Accidents, and Unusual Occurrences
Sets how staff report incidents, accidents and unusual occurrences involving clients, staff or property, what the Agency does next, and which outside reports apply. Florida has no AHCA adverse incident report for adult clients of a home health agency or registrant (the 48-hour report in s. 400.54(2), F.S., covers only aides for medically fragile children); abuse goes to the Florida Abuse Hotline, staff injuries to the workers' compensation carrier within 7 days and, where required, to OSHA, and privacy incidents to the privacy official.
Rule 59A-8.0095(12)(a)5-6, F.A.C.
FL-HC-QA-01
Quality Assurance Program
Sets the Agency's quality assurance program: who runs it, the quarterly review of a sample of active and closed client records (modeled, as the Agency's own standard, on the program Rule 59A-8.0095(2)(e), F.A.C., assigns to a director of nursing), the quality indicators the Agency tracks, how problems are corrected and monitored, client and staff surveys, the annual report to the governing body, and the optional Excellence in Home Health award for licensed agencies.
s. 400.497(5)(c), F.S.
Business4
FL-HC-BUS-01
Service Charges, Billing, and Refunds
Requires the rates, charges and payment sources to be stated in the written service agreement before services start, gives private-pay clients 30 days' written notice of rate increases, bills only for services actually provided and documented, refunds overpayments within 30 days of the Agency determining them, and handles nonpayment fairly.
s. 400.487(1), F.S.
FL-HC-BUS-02
Florida Medicaid, Managed Care Plans, and Electronic Visit Verification
Sets how the Agency serves Florida Medicaid recipients and Statewide Medicaid Managed Care members: enrollment and plan contracts, services only as authorized, electronic visit verification for every visit the program or plan requires, documented exceptions, five-year Medicaid record retention, and cooperation with Medicaid program integrity.
s. 409.913, F.S.
FL-HC-BUS-03
Advertising, Marketing, and Use of the License or Registration Number
Requires the Agency's license or registration number in every advertisement, bars any claim of a license, service or award the Agency does not hold, bars registrants from suggesting personal care or home health services, sets the disclosure required for dementia special-care claims and the rules for the Excellence in Home Health designation, and requires the Administrator to approve every advertisement.
s. 400.464(4)(a), F.S.
FL-HC-BUS-04
Insurance, Financial Stability, and Workers' Compensation
Requires a licensed home health agency to carry malpractice and liability insurance of not less than $250,000 per claim, with proof at each renewal and insurance renewals reported to AHCA within 21 days; sets the Agency's own insurance standards for registrants and for transport, crime and workers' compensation; and requires disclosure of financial instability and notice to AHCA within 10 days of a bankruptcy, foreclosure or eviction action.
s. 400.471(3), F.S.
Ethics2
FL-HC-ETH-01
Code of Conduct, Professional Boundaries, and Client Property
Sets the standards of conduct for everyone who works in clients' homes: respect and honesty, staying within the job and the license, professional boundaries, no gifts, money, loans or legal authority over clients' affairs, careful handling of client money and errands with receipts, confidentiality, and prompt reporting of concerns.
s. 415.102, F.S.
FL-HC-ETH-02
Compliance Program, Referral Practices, and Fraud Prevention
Establishes the Agency's compliance program: a compliance officer, written standards, training, a way to report concerns without retaliation, monthly exclusion screening, auditing, and corrective action; and prohibits the referral payments, gifts to beneficiaries, free staffing, patient brokering, kickbacks and false records and billing that Florida and federal law forbid.
s. 400.474(6), F.S.
Questions
Questions about this manual
Is this the right manual for my license?
It is for home health agencies licensed for non-skilled services only and for homemaker and companion registrants. Agencies licensed to give skilled care need the Florida home health manual, and hospices need the Florida hospice manual.
We hold only a homemaker and companion registration. Does the manual fit?
Yes. Every policy says which duties apply only to a licensed agency. A registrant gives homemaker and companion services only, and its staff may not give hands-on personal care (s. 400.462(8) and (22), F.S.).
How often must a registered nurse visit our aides' clients?
Florida sets no fixed interval. With the client's written consent, an RN makes supervisory visits as the client directs, approves and agrees to pay for them (s. 400.487(3), F.S.; Rule 59A-8.0095(3)(c), F.A.C.). The manual sets a maximum interval as your agency's own standard, labeled so you can change it.
Do we report incidents to AHCA?
Florida has no AHCA adverse incident report for adult clients of a home health agency or a homemaker and companion registrant. Suspected abuse goes to the Florida Abuse Hotline (s. 415.1034, F.S.), and Policy FL-HC-INC-01 lists the other outside reports that still apply.
What do the 50 policies cover?
Client rights (5), service delivery (11), clinical tasks (1), safeguarding (3), infection control (2), emergency preparedness (2), records (2), privacy (3), human resources (9), governance (4), quality (2), business (4) and ethics (2).
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