Patient Rights and Responsibilities
Lindner Center of HOPE (LCOH) recognizes the rights and responsibilities of all patients receiving services, recognizes that each patient is an individual with unique health care needs, and because of the importance of respecting each patient’s personal dignity, provides considerate, respectful care focused on each patient’s needs.
All patients have the right to the following:
Services are appropriate and respectful of personal liberty:
The right to be treated in a safe treatment environment, with consideration and respect for personal, dignity, autonomy, and privacy;
The right to receive humane services;
The right to participate in any appropriate and available service that is consistent with an individual service/treatment plan, regardless of the refusal of any other service, unless that service is a necessity for clear and treatment reasons and requires the person’s participation;
The right to reasonable assistance in the least restrictive setting; and
The right to reasonable protection from neglect, exploitation, harassment and verbal, physical, physical and sexual abuse.
Development of Treatment Plans:
The right to a current individualized treatment plan that addresses the needs and responsibilities of an individual that specifies the provision of appropriate and adequate services, as available, either directly or by referral; and
The right to actively participate in periodic treatment plan reviews with the staff including services necessary upon discharge.
The right to give full informed consent to services prior to commencement and the right to decline services absent an emergency.
The right to be free from restraint or seclusion unless there is imminent risk to physical harm to self or others.
The right to reasonable privacy and freedom from excessive intrusion by visitors, guests and non-hospital surveyors, contractors, construction crews or others; and
The right to be advised of an refuse observation by techniques such as one-way vision mirrors, tape recorders, televisions, movies, or photographs, or other audio and visual recording technology. This right does not prohibit a hospital from using closed-circuit monitoring to observe seclusion rooms or common areas, which does not include patient bedrooms and bathrooms.
Confidentiality:
The right to confidentiality unless a release or exchange of information is authorized and the right to request to restrict treatment information being shared; and
The right to be informed of the circumstances under which the hospital is authorized or intends to release or has released, confidential information without written consent for the purposes of continuity of care as permitted by division (A)(7) of section 5122.31 of the Revised Code.
The right to have the grievance procedure explained orally and in writing; the right to file a grievance with assistance if requested; and the right to have a grievance reviewed through the grievance process, including the right to appeal a decision.
The right to receive services and participate in activities free of discrimination on the basis of race, language, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, age, color, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation and/or gender identity or expression, physical or mental handicap, developmental disability, genetic information, human immunodeficiency virus status, or in any manner prohibited by local, state or federal laws.
The right to exercise rights without reprisal in any form including the ability to continue services with uncompromised access. No right extends so far as to supersede health and safety considerations.
The right to have the opportunity to consult with independent specialists or legal counsel, at one’s own expense.
No inpatient psychiatric service provider employee may be a person’s guardian or representative if the person is currently receiving services from said provider.
The right to have access to one’s own psychiatric, medical, or other treatment records, unless access to particular identified items of information is specifically restricted for that individual patient for clear treatment reasons in the patient’s treatment plan. If access is restricted, the treatment plan shall also include a goal to remove the restriction.
The right to be informed in advance of the reason(s) for discontinuance or denial of service or treatment, and to be involved in planning for the consequences of that event; as well as the right to appeal the discontinuance of service provision.
The right to receive an explanation of the reasons for denial of services.
The following rights listed are specific to inpatient services:
The right to receive humane services in a comfortable, welcoming, stable and supportive environment;
The right to retain personal property and possessions, including a reasonable sum of money, consistent with the person’s health, safety, treatment plan and developmental age;
Advance Directives: the right to formulate advance directives, submit them to hospital staff and rely on practitioners to follow them when within the parameters of the law.
The right to not be compelled to perform labor which involves the operation, support, or maintenance of the hospital or for which the hospital is under contract with an outside organization. Privileges or release from the hospital shall not be conditional upon the performance of such labor.
Declining or consenting to services:
The right to consent to or refuse the provision of any individual personal care activity and/or mental health services/treatment interventions; and
The right, when on voluntary admission status, to decline medication, unless there is imminent risk of physical harm to self or others; or
The right when hospitalized by order of a probate or criminal court to decline medication unless there is imminent risk of harm to self or others, or through an order by the committing court, except that involuntary medication is not permitted, unless there is imminent risk of harm to self or others, for persons admitted for a competency evaluation under division (G)(3) of section 2945.371 of the Revised Code or admitted for sanity evaluation under division (G)(4) of section 2945.371 of the Revised Code. The inpatient psychiatric service provider shall provide the opportunity for informed consent.
Privacy, dignity, free exercise of worship and social interaction: the right to enjoy freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; including religious worship within the hospital, and services or sacred texts that are within the reasonable capacity of the hospital to supply, provide that no patient shall be coerced into engaging in any religious activities.
Private conversation and access to phone, mail and visitors: The right to communicate freely with and be visited at reasonable times by private counsel or personnel of the legal rights service and , unless prior court restriction has been obtain, to communicate freely with and be visited at reasonable times by a personal physician or psychologist;
The right to communicate freely with others, unless specifically restricted in the patient’s treatment plan for reasons that advance the person’s goals, including, without limitations, the following:
The right of an adult to reasonable privacy and freedom to meet with visitors, guests, or surveyors, and make and/or receive phone calls; or the right of a minor to meet with inspectors, and the right to communicate with family, guardian, custodian, friends and significant others outside the hospital in accordance with the minor’s individualized treatment plan. Lindner Center of HOPE recognizes family as a person or persons who plays a significant role in the individual’s life such as spouses, domestic partners, significant others (of both different-sex and same-sex), and other individuals not legally related to the patient.
The right to have reasonable access to telephones to make and receive confidential calls, including a reasonable number of free calls if unable to pay for them and assistance in calling, if requested and needed. The right of a minor to make phone calls shall be in accordance with the minor’s individualized treatment plan; and
The right to have ready access to letter-writing materials, including a reasonable number of stamps without cost if unable to pay for them, and to mail and receive unopened correspondence and assistance in writing if requested and needed subject to the hospital’s rules regarding contraband. The right of a minor to send or receive mail shall also be subject to directives from the parent or legal custodian when such directives do not conflict with federal postal regulations.
Notification to family or physician: the right to have a physician, family member or representative of the person’s choice notified promptly upon admission to a hospital.
The right to pain management.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF VOLUNTARY AND INVOLUNTARY PATIENTS
All patients and/or families have the responsibility to do the following:
Respect the person, privacy, freedom and property of others regardless of religion, race, color, creed, ethnicity, gender, national origin, age, life style, physical or mental handicap, developmental disability, or economic status.
Keep confidential all clinical information communicated to any patient personally or in groups.
Provide accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalization, medications, and other information relating to their health.
Ask questions, follow instructions, accept consequences, follow rules and regulations, show respect and consideration, and meet financial commitments.
Keep therapeutic appointments with physicians, therapists, group leaders, or other members of the treatment team.
Discuss differences of opinion concerning treatment with the treatment team members.
Not bring illicit or other drugs, alcohol, weapons, or other hazardous materials into the facility, or give or take illicit or other drugs or alcohol while a patient on a patient care unit.
Be familiar with patient rights and responsibilities and the code of conduct applicable to the patient care unit.
Provide informed consent as required for certain types of treatment as deemed medically necessary by the treating physician.
Maintain responsibility for personal clothing and possessions, including personal care and grooming matters.
Communicate to the staff any suggestions or perceived risks concerning the safe delivery of care.
Financial Assistance
For patients who have limited insurance and income financial assistance is available on a sliding scale. The Financial Assistance policy only applies to medically necessary services. Must be an Ohio resident at time of service. Residential Treatment programs are not covered by Financial Assistance.
Patients are eligible if:
- Your income is below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
- You provide information requested on the Center’s Financial Assistance Application.
- If you are uninsured.
- If you are an insured patient with a deductible or coinsurance responsibility. Copays are not covered by Financial Assistance.
In addition to standard financial assistance, Lindner Center of HOPE also has the “Helping Hands Program,” a program established by private donors to provide financial assistance to patients meeting criteria as long as funds are available.
Uninsured and self-pay patients may qualify for a discount off charges.
Financial Counselors are available from 8am to 5:30pm Monday through Friday. Please call 513-536-0224
and a financial counselor will assist you with the process of applying for Financial Assistance and will answer your questions regarding the Lindner Center of HOPE Financial Assistance program.