THE RIGHT TO CONSIDERATE AND RESPECTFUL TREATMENT

  • You have the right to receive kind, considerate, and respectful care free from mental, physical and sexual abuse at all times and under all circumstances, with recognition of your personal dignity.
  • The right to impartial access to treatment or accommodations regardless of race, creed, sex, national origin, diagnosis, or source of payment for care.
  • The right to expect a family member or representative and physician will be notified promptly of the patient’s admission to the hospital.
  • The right to have an Advanced Directive and to have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care comply with these directives.
  • The right to have a "support person" that does not have to be the same person as designated under advanced directive.  A support person could be a family member, friend, or other individual who gives support during a hospital stay.
     
    When a patient is incapacitated or otherwise unable to communicate his or her wishes and no one has presented an Advanced Directive designating them as the patient's support person, but an individual asserts that he or she, as the patient's spouse, domestic partner (including same sex domestic partner), parent or other family member, friend, or otherwise, the hospital is expected to accept this assertion without demanding supporting documentation, and allow the individual to exercise that patient's visitation rights on the patient's behalf.


THE RIGHT TO RECEIVE CARE IN A SAFE SETTING AND TO BE FREE FROM ALL FORMS OF ABUSE OR HARASSMENT

  • The right to be free from restraints of seclusion imposed as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation of staff.
  • The right to expect reasonable safety insofar as the practice and environment are concerned.
  • The right to access an internal grievance process and also to appeal to an external agency by contacting:
    • State Ombudsman
      Department of Elder Affairs
      1200 10th Street
      Des Moines, Iowa  50309
      Phone (800) 532-3213  or  (515) 242-3327

THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN AND BE INFORMED OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A CARE PLAN

  • The right to make informed decisions regarding care, including being informed of health status, being involved in care planning and treatment, and being able to request or refuse treatment.
  • The right for a representative to make decisions if the patient is not medically able to do so.
  • The right of each patient or the patient’s representative to be informed in advance of furnishing or discontinuing care whenever possible.
  • The right to consult with a specialist at patient’s request and expense.
  • The right to know the identity and professional status of individuals providing service and to know which physician or other practitioner is primarily responsible for patient’s care.
  • The right to access information contained in patient’s medical record within a reasonable timeframe.  The hospital will meet these requests as quickly as the recordkeeping system permits.
  • The right to request and receive an itemized and detailed explanation of the patient’s total bill for services rendered in the hospital.

THE RIGHT TO PERSONAL PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY OF MEDICAL RECORDS

  • The right to have examination and treatment conducted in such a manner that the patient’s privacy is assured.
  • The right to have any discussion or consultation involving the patient conducted discreetly.  Individuals not directly involved in the case will not be present without the patient’s permission.

AS A PATIENT AT THIS HOSPITAL YOU CAN EXPECT

  • Information about pain and pain relief measures.
  • A concerned staff committed to pain prevention and management.
  • Health professionals who respond quickly to reports of pain.

AS A PATIENT YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE FOLLOWING:

  • The responsibility to provide truthful and complete information regarding present health problems, past illnesses and hospitalizations, medications and other matters relating to his/her health.
  • The responsibility to participate in the plan of care and cooperate with the physician and other caregivers.
  • The responsibility for consequences if treatment is refused or if the practitioner’s instructions are not followed.
  • The responsibility to make it known if you do not understand what you have been given in education, instructions or communication.
  • The responsibility for being considerate of the rights of other patients and facility personnel.
  • The responsibility for being respectful of the property of other people and of the facility.
  • The responsibility to inform the hospital and physician of advanced directives formulated and provide a copy of the same.
  • The responsibility for assuring the financial obligations for the care provided is fulfilled as promptly as possible.
  • The responsibility for abiding by hospital rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct