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Alaska Statutes.

Title 18. Health, Safety, and Housing

Chapter 18. Hospice and Home Care Programs

Section 100. Requirements For Licensure.

AS 18.18.100. Requirements For Licensure.

(a) Except as provided in AS 18.18.200 for volunteer hospice programs, a hospice program shall meet the requirements of this section. If a hospice program meets the requirements of this section and AS 18.18.010 - 18.18.040, the department shall issue a license for the program.

(b) A hospice program shall have a clear mission statement that is consistent with hospice philosophy.

(c) A hospice program shall have at least the following features:

(1) a governing body;

(2) an established set of admission criteria for determining appropriate clients;

(3) a program director;

(4) an interdisciplinary team;

(5) volunteers; and

(6) a medical director.

(d) A hospice program may only provide services to a person if the person

(1) consents to receive those services; and

(2) fits the admissions criteria of the hospice program.

(e) Hospice services shall be delivered in accordance with a care plan approved by the interdisciplinary team regardless of whether the hospice services are provided by hospice program staff or by contractors. The care plan must be reviewed periodically by the interdisciplinary team and revised as needed. The client, and the client's family if the client desires, must be given the opportunity to participate in the development of the care plan and must be informed of the opportunity to attend interdisciplinary team meetings. The interdisciplinary team must consider the need for at least the following services when developing the care plan:

(1) social services;

(2) nursing care;

(3) counseling;

(4) pastoral care;

(5) volunteer visits to provide comfort, companionship, and respite;

(6) bereavement services for at least one year after the death of the person who is terminally ill; and

(7) medical services.

(f) Nursing services provided by a hospice program shall be provided in accordance with a care plan and must be under the direction and supervision of a nurse supervisor. The nurse supervisor shall

(1) develop nursing objectives, policies, and procedures consistent with hospice philosophy;

(2) develop job descriptions for nursing personnel consistent with hospice philosophy;

(3) establish staffing and on-call schedules for nursing staff to ensure the availability of nursing services 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and

(4) develop and implement orientation and training programs for nursing staff.

(g) Before providing a hospice service in a hospice program, a direct service provider shall receive an orientation of at least four hours specific to hospice service. The policy and procedures of the hospice program define the agenda of the hospice orientation program. The hospice program shall document in personnel files that staff members have completed the four-hour orientation. Indirect service volunteers shall be oriented according to program policies. The hospice orientation program must include the following subjects:

(1) hospice philosophy;

(2) personal death awareness;

(3) communication skills;

(4) personnel issues;

(5) identification of hospice resource people;

(6) stress management;

(7) ethics;

(8) stages of dying; and

(9) funeral arrangements.

(h) A hospice program shall provide an educational program that offers a comprehensive overview of hospice philosophy and hospice care. A minimum of 18 hours of education, received within a one-year period, including four hours of orientation, is required for all direct service providers delivering hospice care. Documentation of completion of this program is transferable from one hospice program to another. The educational program must include the following subjects:

(1) hospice philosophy;

(2) family dynamics;

(3) pain and symptom management;

(4) grief, loss, and transition;

(5) psychological perspectives on death and dying;

(6) spirituality;

(7) communication skills;

(8) volunteer roles; and

(9) multidisciplinary management.

(i) Direct service providers in a hospice program shall complete a minimum of eight hours of continuing education or in-service training each year after the first year, based on date of hire.

(j) A hospice program shall maintain, at a minimum, the following records:

(1) a record for each client that includes copies of the client's care plan, progress notes, assessments, and a description of services provided to the client and the client's family;

(2) minutes of governing body meetings;

(3) all receipts and expenditures; and

(4) training provided to paid staff and volunteers.

(k) A hospice program shall have and follow written policies and procedures governing its operation, including policies relating to confidentiality, training, and admissions.

(l) A person who enters a hospice program shall be given information regarding living wills and durable health care powers of attorney.

(m) The hospice program shall have a functional quality assurance or improvement plan in place that

(1) continually monitors and evaluates the care provided;

(2) identifies issues and potential issues;

(3) proposes and implements improvements; and

(4) reevaluates the care provided to determine if further improvement is possible or needed.

(n) A hospice program may not use a direct service provider whose name is listed on an abuse registry maintained by the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, division of occupational licensing. A hospice program shall contact the division for a determination of whether a prospective direct service provider's name is on an abuse registry maintained by the division and may not allow the person to provide hospice services until the division has responded to the inquiry. The Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development may adopt regulations to implement this subsection.

Article 02. LICENSING OF VOLUNTEER HOSPICE PROGRAMS

Note to HTML Version:

This version of the Alaska Statutes is current through December, 2004. The Alaska Statutes were automatically converted to HTML from a plain text format. Every effort has been made to ensure their accuracy, but this can not be guaranteed. If it is critical that the precise terms of the Alaska Statutes be known, it is recommended that more formal sources be consulted. For statutes adopted after the effective date of these statutes, see, Alaska State Legislature If any errors are found, please e-mail Touch N' Go systems at E-mail. We hope you find this information useful.

Last modified 9/3/2005