Service Suspension and Termination

Policy

It is the policy Apex Home Care to ensure our procedures for temporary service suspension and for service termination promote continuity of care and service coordination for persons receiving services.

Procedure

1. Temporary service suspension

   1. The use of temporary service suspension by Apex Home Care is restricted to situations in which the conduct of the person being served poses an imminent risk of physical harm to self or others and less restrictive or positive support strategies would not achieve safety.

   2. Apex Home Care must notify the person or the person’s legal representative and the case manager in writing of the intended temporary service suspension.

   3. Apex Home Care must provide information requested by the person or the person’s legal representative or case manager when services are temporarily suspended.

   4. Prior to giving notice of temporary service suspension, Apex Home Care must document the actions taken by the staff to minimize or eliminate the need for temporary service suspension. The below items are acceptable examples.

      • The person’s behavior that is prompting the temporary service suspension, including the frequency, intensity and the duration of the behavior.

      • The events leading up to the temporary service suspension.

      • Consultations with others on methods to minimize or eliminate the need for temporary service suspension.

   5. During the period of temporary service suspension, Apex Home Care will work with the appropriate county agency to develop reasonable alternatives to protect the person and others.

   6. Apex Home Care must maintain information about the temporary service suspension in the person’s record.

2. Service Termination

   1. Apex Home Care must notify the person or the person’s legal representative and the case manager in writing of the intended service termination and the person’s right to seek a temporary order staying the termination of service.

   2. The written notice of a proposed service termination, including those situations which began with a temporary service suspension, must be given before the proposed effective date of service termination.

      • For those persons receiving intensive supports and services, the notice must be provided at least 60 days before the proposed effective date of service termination.

      • For those persons receiving anything other than intensive supports and services, the notice must be provided at least 30 days before the proposed effective date of service termination.

   3. Apex Home Care must provide information requested by the person or the person’s legal representative or case manager upon notice of service termination.

   4. Prior to giving the written notice of service termination, Apex Home Care must document the actions taken by staff to minimize or eliminate the need for service termination.

   5. During the service termination notice period Apex Home Care will work with the appropriate county agency to develop reasonable alternatives to protect the person and others.

   6. Apex Home Care must maintain information about the service termination including the written termination notice in the person’s record.

   7. Within five working days of service initiation, Apex Home Care must provide a copy of this policy to the person or the person’s legal representative, and must offer a copy to the person’s case manager.