WAC 246-335-155
Other general hospice care center
licensing requirements. (1) Change of ownership. A hospice
care center licensee must meet the change of ownership
requirements in WAC 246-335-035.
(2) Applicant or licensee rights and responsibilities. A
hospice care center applicant or licensee must meet the
applicant or licensee responsibility requirements in WAC 246-335-040.
(3) Department responsibilities. The department
responsibility requirements in WAC 246-335-045 apply to
hospice care center licensees and applicants.
(4) Plan of operation. A hospice care center applicant
or licensee must meet the plan of operation requirements in
WAC 246-335-055, and assure pets or animals living on the
premises:
(a) Have regular examinations and immunizations,
appropriate for the species, by a veterinarian licensed in
Washington state;
(b) Be veterinarian certified as free of diseases
transmittable to humans;
(c) Are restricted from food preparation areas; and
(d) Include only those customarily considered domestic
pets.
(5) Delivery of services. A hospice care center
applicant or licensee must:
(a) Meet the delivery of services requirements in WAC 246-335-060; and
(b) Establish and implement policies and procedures that
assure:
(i) Auditory and physical privacy for the patient and
family during the admitting process;
(ii) Patient rooms are private, unless the patient
requests a roommate. Only two patients may share a room;
(iii) Each patient is provided a bed with a mattress
appropriate to the special needs and size of the patient; and
(iv) Availability of clean bed and bath linens that are
in good condition and free of holes and stains.
(6) Personnel, contractor, and volunteer policies. A
hospice care center applicant or licensee must:
(a) Meet the personnel, contractor and volunteer policy
requirements in WAC 246-335-065; and
(b) Assure training in the safe storage and handling of
oxygen containers and other equipment as necessary.
(7) Personnel, contractor, and volunteer records. A
hospice care center applicant or licensee must meet the
personnel, contractor, and volunteer records requirements in
WAC 246-335-070.
(8) Bill of rights. A hospice care center applicant or
licensee must:
(a) Meet the bill of rights requirements in WAC 246-335-075; or
(b) For patients already being served by the hospice
agency operating the hospice care center, assure:
(i) The bill of rights requirements have been provided to
the patient and designated family member; and
(ii) Provide any additional information needed specific
to the hospice care center.
(9) Plan of care. A hospice care center applicant or
licensee must:
(a) Meet the plan of care requirements in WAC 246-335-085; or
(b) For patients already being served by the hospice
agency operating the hospice care center, review the plan of
care for any necessary revisions, and maintain the plan of
care with any revisions in the hospice care center.
(10) Supervision. A hospice care center applicant or
licensee must:
(a) Meet the supervision requirements in WAC 246-335-100;
and
(b) Develop any necessary supervision requirements
specific to:
(i) The hospice care center service category staffing
requirements; and
(ii) Supervising personnel, volunteers and evaluating
contractor services who are employed by a separately licensed
hospice agency.
(11) Patient records. A hospice care center applicant or
licensee must meet the requirements in WAC 246-335-110.
(12) Quality improvement. A hospice care center
applicant or licensee must:
(a) Meet the quality improvement requirements in WAC 246-335-115; or
(b) Assure the hospice agency operating the hospice care
center has a quality improvement program that applies to the
hospice care center; or
(c) Implement any needed changes or additions to the
current hospice agency quality improvement program.
(13) Home medical supplies and equipment. A hospice care
center applicant or licensee must meet the home medical
supplies and equipment requirements in WAC 246-335-120.
(14) Staffing requirements. A hospice care center
applicant or licensee must implement the following staffing
requirements:
(a) There must be adequate staffing on duty at all times.
Considerations for determining adequate staffing include, but
are not limited to:
(i) Number of patients currently admitted and residing in
the center;
(ii) Specific patient care requirements;
(iii) Family care needs; and
(iv) Availability of support from other interdisciplinary
team members;
(b) Two people, who may either be personnel, contractors
or volunteers, must be on duty twenty-four hours per day,
seven days per week;
(c) A registered nurse must be available twenty-four
hours per day for consultation and direct participation in
nursing care;
(d) A registered nurse must be on-site when required to
perform duties specified in chapter 18.79 RCW;
(e) When providing general inpatient services, a hospice
care center must comply with the staffing requirements in (a)
through (d) of this subsection, and assure:
(i) A registered nurse is present twenty-four hours per
day, seven days per week, to direct nursing services; and
(ii) Care is provided by either a RN, LPN or home health
aide to meet the needs of each patient in accordance with the
plan of care; and
(f) When providing continuous care services, a hospice
care center must, in addition to the staffing requirements in
(a) through (d) of this subsection, assure:
(i) One-on-one staffing, directed by an RN, for a minimum
of eight hours to a maximum of twenty-four hours per calendar
day; and
(ii) Care is provided by either a RN, LPN or home health
aide to meet the needs of each patient in accordance with the
plan of care.
(15) A hospice care center may either be owned or leased.
If the hospice agency leases space, all delivery of
interdisciplinary services, including staffing and management,
must be done by the hospice agency per RCW 70.127.280 (1)(g).
[Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.127 RCW. 02-18-026, §
246-335-155, filed 8/23/02, effective 10/1/02.]