Ballinger Home Health, Inc.

“State toll free HH telephone hotline CFR(s): 484.50(c)(9) Be advised of the state toll free home health telephone hot line, its contact information, its hours of operation, and that its purpose is to receive complaints or questions about local HHAs. This Element is not met as evidenced by: Based on interview and record review, the agency failed to provide patients with accurate information on how to contact the Department of Health and Human Services toll-free State hotline number 1-800-458-9858 for 9 of 9 patients (#1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) whose records were reviewed. The expired number of (1-800-228-1570) was provided to patients upon admission for services. This failure could prevent the agency’s patients from having the ability to report allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation imposed on them by agency personnel as well as the inability to report grievances of unsatisfactory care and services which could result in injury or harm to the patients. Findings include: Review of the agency admission packet included a form titled “Consent to Treatment” that provided all clients admitted for services an expired complaint hotline number (1-800-228-1570). During an interview conducted on 04/21/25 at 2:50 p.m., with RN/Alternate Administrator/Supervising Nurse, when presented with the form “Consent to Treatment” from the blank admission packet and asked if this is the form that is given to the patients/clients, RN/Alternate Administrator/Supervising Nurse confirmed that this is the form that is given to patients/clients and stated she was not aware that the state hotline number was incorrect on the form. Patient #1 - Review of the clinical record included a form titled “Consent to Treatment” dated 09/06/24 and signed by Patient #1 that included an incorrect State Hotline number (1-800-228-1570). Patient #2 - Review of the clinical record included a form titled “Consent to Treatment” dated 02/21/25 and signed by Patient #2 that included an incorrect State Hotline number (1-800-228-1570). During a home visit conducted on 04/22/25 at 1:00 p.m., Review of the home folder included a form titled “Consent to Treatment” dated 02/21/25 and signed by Patient #2 that included an incorrect State Hotline number (1-800-228-1570). Patient #3 - Review of the clinical record included a form titled “Consent to Treatment” dated 09/06/24 and signed by Patient #3 that included an incorrect State Hotline number (1-800-228-1570). During a home visit conducted on 04/22/25 at 1:45 p.m., when asked if she was provided with the state hotline number, patient #3 stated she probably has it in the folder but that she would call the agency instead. Review of the home folder included a form titled “Consent to Treatment” dated 09/06/24 and signed by Patient #3 that included an incorrect State Hotline number (1-800-228-1570). Patient #4 - Review of the clinical record included a form titled “Consent to Treatment” dated 02/27/25 and signed by Patient #4 that included an incorrect State Hotline number (1-800-228-1570). Patient #5 - Review of the clinical record included a form titled “Consent to Treatment” dated 11/23/24 and signed by Patient #5 that included an incorrect State Hotline number (1-800-228-1570). Patient #6 - Review of the clinical record included a form titled “Consent to Treatment” dated 01/28/25 and signed by Patient #6 that included an incorrect State Hotline number (1-800-228-1570). Patient #7 - Review of the clinical record included a form titled “Consent to Treatment” dated 07/23/24 and signed by Patient #7 that included an incorrect State Hotline number (1-800-228-1570). Patient #8 - Review of the clinical record included a form titled “Consent to Treatment” dated 04/08/22 and signed by Patient #8 that included an incorrect State Hotline number (1-800-228-1570). Patient #9 - Review of the clinical record included a form titled “Consent to Treatment” dated 09/09/24 and signed by Patient #9 that included an incorrect State Hotline number (1-800-228-1570). During an interview conducted on 04/23/25 at 4:10 p.m. with RN/Administrator, when asked if she was aware of the ‘Consent to Treatment” form containing an incorrect state hotline number, RN/Administrator stated she was not aware that the current form contained the incorrect number and further stated that the agency used this form and it contained the correct number and in 2020 the form was retyped and had the incorrect number and she was not aware. Review of the agency policy titled, “Notice of Patient Rights”, not dated, included the correct state hotline number of (800-458-9858). This policy was in the agency’s electronic policy section in the computer but was not in the blank admission packet information that is given to patients upon admission.”