24-Hour Availability, On-Call and After-Hours Response
Sets how the Agency makes nursing, physician services and drugs available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and other services whenever reasonable and necessary: the after-hours number, the on-call nurse, physician, supervisor and other disciplines, the Agency’s call-back and visit standards, how calls are handled and logged, and how the on-call system is tested and reviewed.
About this policy
- Policy number
- DC-HSP-SVC-01
- Version
- 1.0
- Main rule
- 42 CFR §418.100(c)(2)
- Library
- Washington, DC hospice · 60 policies
- Category
- Service delivery
- Sections
- 19
In short
- A nurse, a hospice physician and drugs are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- After hours, families call (202) 555-0199. A live person always answers.
- Call back within 15 minutes of the page, and when a visit is needed aim to arrive within 2 hours.
- Log every call and hand it off to the registered nurse coordinator by the next business morning.
- Teach every family to call us first, before 911, for problems related to the terminal illness.
What's inside
19 sections. The full text comes with the One-time Policy Pack.
- Terms of Reference
- 1. Purpose
- 2. Scope
- 3. Definitions
- 4. Policy Statement (42 CFR §418.100(c)(2))
- 5. Who Is On Call
- 6. The After-Hours Number
- 7. Handling a Call
- 8. The On-Call Log and Next-Day Handoff
- 9. Patients in Facilities
- 10. Teaching Families to Call
- 11. Testing and Reviewing the System
- 12. Responsibilities
- 13. Records and Compliance Monitoring
- 14. Staff Training
- 15. References
- 16. Related Policies and Forms
- 17. Approval
- 18. Revision History
An inspector may ask
- Call your after-hours number now. Who answers, and how long does the nurse take to call back?
- Show me the on-call schedule for this month for nurses and physicians.
See Cura Core with your agency's name on it.
Choose your state and type of agency, buy your Policy Pack online and get your sign-in by email. Already a customer? Sign in to your portal.