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About
Home Care
KHCA Code of Ethics
An Informal Look at Home Care in Kansas --1966-1997
(PDF)
Home care is a health care option offering a broad range of medical care and support services provided in the home. Services range from simple assistance in the activities of daily living to high-tech medical procedures.
Home care is a cost-effective alternative to hospital and nursing home stays. Home care services are provided through a variety of home care providers, whether independently owned or associated with hospitals, nursing homes, or public health departments. The Kansas Home Care Association offers
a directory of member agencies that will allow you to search for an agency in
the county where care is needed. A complete listing is also available through the Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment. All agencies in Kansas are licensed and surveyed by the state, and many are certified by Medicare.
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Types of Home Care Services that May be Available in Your Area
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Why Use Home Care?
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Provides care for those who are discharged from the hospital not fully recovered
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May prevent or postpone hospital or nursing home care
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Allows maximum freedom for the client
- Offers individualized care tailored to the needs of the client and family
- Provides professionally supervised services
- Allows dignity and independence
- Supports families while keeping them together
- Offers lower cost of care than in hospital or nursing home setting
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How to Choose a Home Care Agency
A home care agency should be selected to meet your individual care needs. You have the right to choose any home care provider who is qualified to provide the services you need. Your best protection is selecting care from a licensed, high quality agency after you have spent some time researching the agencies in your area.
The following are a few questions to consider and ask the home care agency. These points are meant as a guide only. You will need to determine what is most important to you, and what is the best fit.
- Is the agency certified by Medicare? Only Medicare-certified agencies can provide services covered by Medicare. Not all agencies participate in the Medicare program; however, not participating does not mean the agency provides less than quality care.
- Is the agency licensed by the state? In Kansas, a home care agency must be licensed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
- Is the agency accredited? This is a voluntary process conducted by nonprofit professional organizations stating the agency has met established standards. Examples are JCAHO or CHAP accreditation.
- Does the agency provide written statements describing services, eligibility requirements, fees, funding sources, patient rights, complaint procedures, and emergency arrangements?
- How long has the agency been serving the community?
- What is the agency's service area?
- Is service available seven days a week?
- What will the agency do in emergency situations?
- How is the plan of care developed?
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Who Pays for Home Care?
- Medicare
- Medicaid
- Private health and long term insurance plans
- VA
- Worker's compensation
- HMOs
- Champus
- Managed care plans
- Individual patients and families
Note that each payor has certain criteria that determine what type of care is covered and which patients qualify for care at home.
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Kansas Home Care Association
Code of Ethics
The Kansas Home Care Association is the recognized statewide organization that provides leadership, support, and services to the home care industry. Throughout our history, we have valued and supported those ideals upon which our industry was based.
In order to maintain these high standards, the Kansas Home Care Association encourages its membership to embrace and promote the following
Code of Ethics:
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To act in a manner that will instill confidence, trust and respect in clients, employees, professional peers, organizations, general public and the health care delivery system.
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To protect and preserve the basic rights of all clients. KHCA believes that clients’ rights are built around the following fundamental principles:
Respect for life -- all life is precious and should be respected.
Autonomy -- all people have the right to be self-determining.
Beneficence -- we should attempt to do good; nonmaleficence (the duty not to do harm) is considered more powerful than our obligation to do good.
Fidelity -- faithful devotion to duty; loyalty.
Distributive justice -- all people should be treated fairly; people should not be discriminated against without just cause.
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To interact with the client in an honest manner with value for human dignity based on respect, love and compassion always looking after the client’s physical, psychosocial, spiritual, nutritional and safety needs.
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To comply with all state and federal laws and regulations applicable to services delivered and professional activities.
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To treat all employees with dignity and respect, and to provide equal employment opportunities based on bona fide job competencies, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability.
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To maintain competent and proficient employees and volunteers through the promotion of professional development and continued educational opportunities.
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To respect professional confidences.
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To maintain the highest standards of personal and professional integrity in a manner that will reflect positively on the association and the health care industry.
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To be truthful in all forms of public information and avoid false, misleading, inflammatory, or deceptive information.
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To avoid the exploitation of professional relationships for personal gain.
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To uphold the values, ethics and mission of this association which is to be recognized as the statewide organization that provides leadership, support and services to the home care industry.
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