LONG – TERM CARE REGULATORY AGENCIES
Introduction
Long- term health care regulatory agencies are institutions whose main role in the society is to provide licenses and approve the operation of qualified healthcare institutions. The regulatory institutions are categorized depending on the type of health care service they are offering. Every institution offering a service has a set of guiding rules implemented by a respective regulatory authority. This research seeks to present an overview and functions of three different regulatory authorities and give example of how each agency regulates long term care. The regulatory agencies discussed are the Virginia department of health office of the Licensure and Certification, Virginia Department of social Services-Division of Licensing Program and Ohio Department of Health (Theodore & Wymyslo, 2012).
Virginia department of health office of the Licensure and Certification
This regulatory agency is governmental and is located in Virginia. Its main activity is to regulate the activities of Nursing homes, hospice programs, home health agencies to determine their compliance with the applicable rules and regulations. It has a call-service which supports complains receivership from customers and uses them to suggest improvements of service delivery. For example, in Virginia, the nursing homes are regulated by federal regulations that ensure that the nursing homes are certified to be receiving Medicare supplies or Medicare reimbursements. This is conducted on a yearly basis for compliance verification. Contrary to which, the provider is notified of non-compliance and therefore is subject to monetary penalties (The Ombudsman, 2010).
Virginia Department of social Services-Division of Licensing Programs
This regulatory agency is also located in Virginia and is a governmental agency. Its function is to act as an oversight to services being provided by adult care homes. The oversight activities are scheduled to take place on an annual basis. The authority is required to investigate the source of complains from the customers and, if necessary, refer them to DHSR for further investigation. If a non-compliance case is reported and that it resulted to a serious harm to the complainant, the recommendation is a monetary penalty following approval by the DHSR’s penalty review committee (The Ombudsman, 2010).
Ohio Department of health
This is a regulatory authority situated in Ohio. It is a quality assurance segment that regulates more than one type of health care facility and accomplishes this through offering operation license and/or federal certificates regulations. The Ohio Department of Health has mandate to register and/or license personnel in different fields. The department through bureau of Regulatory compliance focuses its monetary and personnel resources to ensuring that the health and safety of people living in Ohio nursing homes and various residential care facilities is not compromised. This is done by putting in place health care provisions regulations and strict environmental principles with which full compliance is the only expectation (Theodore & Wymyslo, 2012).
Bureau of community Health care facility and services is also another program under the Ohio Department of Health. This program undertakes site surveys and investigations. The bureau of community health care facility and services is inclined to protect health care services providers and suppliers. The bureau of Long Term Care regulating Nursing Homes and Assisted living is of a mind, to ensuring that the residents of nursing homes and residential care facilities receive quality health care products to facilitate there well being. This will ensure that patients’ welfare is maintained to the required standards (The Ombudsman, 2010).
Conclusion
In conclusion, regulatory agencies relating to long term care in various states work towards ensuring that the standards guiding health care service provision are complied with. Total compliance is expected from the institutions offering such services. Failure to which consumers of such products are at health risk. Violation of the rules is rewarded with appropriate monetary penalty, as deemed sufficient by the regulatory committee.
References
Theodore, E . Wymyslo. ( 2013). Ohio Department of Health. Columbus , Ohio. Retrieved
from http://www.odh.ohio.gov/landing/phs_quality/quality.aspx
The Ombudsman. (2010). Office of the State Long term Care. Virginia. Rerieved
from http://www.elderrightsva.org/ombudsman-regulatory-agencies.aspx
Jeff, Horton & Jesse, Goodman. (2010). the Challenges of Regulation in Long-Term Care. Retrieved from http://www.ncmedicaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/NCMJ/Mar-Apr-10/Horton.pdf
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