When are the visiting hours?
Here at Akron Care Center we do not have any visiting hours set. You are welcome to come visit anytime.
Is there any private space available to use?
We have a Great Room available for larger gatherings and groups. We also have a Conference Room with a large table and chairs available for smaller special events (birthdays, holidays, special meals).
Can I bring my children to visit?
We encourage children to visit.
Can I bring a family pet to the facility?
We would love for your family pet to come visit. Please remember to clean up after them and take the proper safety measures at all times. All pets are to be kept on a leash and should have all current vaccinations.
How often will a physician or health professional visit?
Physicians see residents upon admission and once every 30 days for the first 90 days. After the first 90 days the physician determines the number of visits necessary with a minimum of two times per year. However, our nursing professionals are in constant contact with all of the physicians that visit the facility. Some insurance companies require that physicians visit more often. Check with our nursing staff for further information.
Can I take my loved one home for a visit?
Residents may leave the facility, which can be arranged through nursing staff. The resident or responsible party upon arrival and departure must sign the LOA (leave of absence) book, located at the nursing stations.
Can my loved one receive mail?
Definitely. Mail is delivered to residents personally on a daily basis except for weekends and holidays.
Akron Care Center
Attn: Your Resident’s Name
991 Hwy 3
Akron, IA 51001
Is smoking permitted in the facility?
For the safety and welfare of all residents and staff, Akron Care Center is a non-smoking facility.
My loved one has a favorite chair that I’d like to bring to the facility. Can you accommodate this?
We always want our residents to be comfortable; as space permits, personal items from the resident’s home are always welcome.
Will I be required to do my loved ones laundry?
Bed linens, hospital gowns and towels are provided and laundered by the facility. We also do personal items unless you prefer to do it. If you would prefer to do laundry for your loved one, please inform the charge nurse/social services designee.
Is there someone who provides haircuts?
We have a beautician come into the facility on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. All hair services are billed to the resident.
What articles of clothing should I bring?
We recommend approximately 4-6 changes of clothing and two pair of comfortable shoes. All articles should be washed, clearly labeled with resident’s name in permanent ink and entered into the residents’ personal inventory log in the medical chart. Other personal items should be marked or engraved for identification. We advise that residents do not keep valuable jewelry in the facility.
Personal Laundry: There is no charge for personal laundry; however families may wish to do their loved ones laundry. If you will be doing their personal laundry you must bring in a plastic hamper for dirty clothes and ensure laundry is done at least once a week in order to comply with state hygiene regulations.
Clothing and Laundry Tips: All personal clothing is washed in an industrial washing machine at a temperature of 180-degrees. Make sure your loved ones clothing is appropriate for washing and drying in these hot temperatures. Clothing that requires cold or warm water or special care is subject to damage and fading. All clothing must be labeled. Please label the clothing with the resident name, NOT the room number or initials. Mark clearly and in large letters on the inside neckline or waistband. All items must be marked including socks, shoes, and other personal items. We ask that marking are not visible when wearing the clothes.
Will my loved one have telephone access?
Phone access is available to every resident upon request at no charge. Unlimited local and toll free calls can be made. If a phone is desired in the resident’s room, payment and setup must be arranged between Hickory Tech and the family.
Will my loved ones room have a television?
We provide free cable television and a TV mounted on the wall.
What kinds of activities are planned for the residents?
Akron Care Center has a fun atmosphere with individualized activities available. We also have an active resident council and traveling bell choir. Scheduled activities include: parties, seasonal activities, music, fitness, religious services, cards, bingo and outings during favorable weather. We also have in-room activities available. If you would like to arrange something special or have suggestions and ideas for individual or group activities, please inform our activities director. We welcome and encourage involvement from family and friends
Can the rules be changed?
Suggestions and recommendations for changes in the facility rules may be submitted in person or in writing to Akron Care Center administration. We cannot change state or federal laws.
Will Medicare Part A cover my stay in the facility?
It may, residents must have a Medicare card that reads “Hospital Insurance.” They must also be admitted to the facility with a physician order within 30 days of a three consecutive night hospital stay. Generally, during the first 20 days of care, Medicare will pay 100%. For days 21-100, a $128 daily co-insurance rate is required. This is usually paid by a Medicare supplement. Advantage plans vary from one to another; we accept these plans and work with you and your plan. Medicare does not cover skilled nursing fees over 100 days.
What are our Information Practices?
What are our Information Practices?
It is the policy of Akron Care Center to disseminate a written notice to all residents that addresses its policies and procedures with respect to the treatment, use and disclosure of individually identifiable health information (IIHI) and with respect to Akron Care Center legal duties with respect to such information (a “Notice of Information Practices.”)
The Notice of Information Practices shall include all elements and statements that are required by law. In summary, the Notice shall inform the residents about the potential uses and disclosures of their health information, as well as their rights with respect to that information, including: (1) a description of each of the purposes for which Akron Care Center is permitted to disclose their health information, including, for example, treatment, payment, and health care operations; and (2) a description of when written authorization is required before Akron Care Center may disclose the individual’s health information in other instances.
Procedure
A. Akron Care Center will provide the Notice of Information Practices at the time of admission or when service is first provided to the individual, whichever is first.
B. A copy of the Notice of Information Practices will be kept in the resident’s medical record, or the Notice’s form number or effective date will be recorded on the consent to treatment, payment and health care operations.
C. Akron Care Center will provide a copy of the written notice to residents and to any other person upon request.
D. Akron Care Center will post a copy of the Notice of Information Practices on its bulletin board in the entrance lobby.
E. If there is a material change in Akron Care Center’ use and disclosure policy that affects the rights of residents, legal duties imposed, or the practices of Akron Care Center, then a new statement delineating those changes will be provided to all residents. Material changes will not be implemented until a revised notice has been issued by Akron Care Center.
F. Akron Care Center’ Privacy Officer shall be responsible for ensuring that written notices are received and posted in accordance with this policy, and for keeping copies of the notices posted and any revisions thereto.
NOTICE OF INFORMATION PRACTICES
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT RESIDENTS OF AKRON CARE CENTER MAYBE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW RESIDENTS CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Understanding Your Health Record/Information
Each time you visit Akron Care Center, a record of your visit is made. Typically, this record contains your symptoms, examination and test results, diagnosis, treatment, and a plan for future care or treatment. This information, often referred to as your medical record, serves as a:
• basis for planning your care and treatment
• means of communication among the many health professionals who contribute to your care
• legal document describing the care you received
• means by which you or a third-party payer can verify that services billed were actually provided
• a tool in educating health professionals
• a source of data for medical research
• a source of information for public health officials who oversee the delivery of health care in the United States
• a source of data for Akron Care Center planning and marketing
• a tool with which we can assess and continually work to improve the care we render and the outcomes we achieve Understanding what is in your record and how your health information is used helps you to:ensure its accuracy, better understand who, what, when, where, and why others may access your health information, and make more informed decisions when authorizing disclosure to others.
Our Responsibilities
Akron Care Center is required to:
• maintain the privacy of your health information
• provide you with a notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information we collect and maintain about you
• abide by the terms of this notice
• notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction
• accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations.
We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain. Should our information practices change, we will mail you a revised notice.
We will not use or disclose your health information without your authorization, except as described in this notice.
How We Will Use or Disclose Your Health Information
1) Treatment. We will use your health information for treatment. For example, information obtained by a nurse, physician, or other member of your healthcare team will be recorded in your record and used to determine the course of treatment that should work best for you.
Your physician will document in your record his or her expectations of the members of your healthcare team. Members of your healthcare team will then record the actions they take and their observations. In that way, the physician will know how you are responding to treatment.
We will also provide your physician or a subsequent healthcare provider with copies of various reports that should assist him or her in treating you once you are discharged from our nursing Akron Care Center.
2) Payment. We will use you health information for payment. For example, a bill may be sent to you or a third-party payer, including Medicare or Medicaid. The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis, procedures, and supplies used.
3) Health Care Operations. We will use your health information for regular health operations. For example, members of the medical staff, the risk or quality improvement manager, or members of the quality improvement team may use information in your medical record to assess the care and outcomes in your case and others like it. This information will then be used in an effort to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of the health care and service we provide.
4) Business Associates. There are some services provided in our organization through contacts with business associates. Examples include our accountants, consultants and attorneys. When these services are contracted, we may disclose your health information to our business associates so that they can perform the job we have asked them to do. To protect your health information, however, we require the business associate to appropriately safeguard your information.
5) Directory. Unless you notify us that you object, we may use your name, location in the Akron Care Center, general condition, and religious affiliation for directory purposes. This information may be provided to members of the clergy and, except for religious affiliation, to other people who ask for you by name. We may also use your name on a name plate next to or on your door in order to identify your room, unless you notify us that you object.
6) Notification. We may use or disclose information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative, or another person responsible for your care, of your location, and general condition. If we are unable to reach your family member or personal representative, then we may leave a message for them at the phone number that they have provided us, i.e., and answering machine.
7) Communication With Family. Health professionals, using their best judgment, may disclose to a family member, other relative, close personal friend or any other person you identify, health information relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or payment related to your care.
8) Research. We may disclose information to researchers when their research has been approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information.
9) Funeral Directors. We may disclose health information to funeral directors and coroners to carry out their duties consistent with applicable law.
10) Organ Procurement Organizations. Consistent with applicable law, we may disclose health information to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged in the procurement, banking, or transplantation or organs for the purpose of tissue donation and transplant.
11) Marketing. We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
12) Fund Raising. We may contact you as part of a fund-raising effort.
13) Food And Drug Administration (FDA.) We may disclose to the FDA health information relative to adverse events with respect to food, supplements, product and product defects, or post marketing surveillance information to enable product recalls, repairs, or replacement.
14) Workers Compensation. We may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers compensation or other similar programs established by law.
15) Public Health. As required by law, we may disclose your health information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.
16) Correctional Institution. Should you be an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or agents thereof health information necessary for your health and the health and safety of other individuals.
17) Law Enforcement. We may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena.
18) Reports. Federal law makes provision for your health information to be released to an appropriate health oversight agency, public health authority or attorney, provided that a work force member or business associate believes in good faith that we have engaged in unlawful conduct or have otherwise violated professional or clinical standards and are potentially endangering one or more patients, workers or the public.
Your Health Information Rights
Although your medical record is the physical property of Akron Care Center, the information in your medical record belongs to you. You have the following rights:
• You may request that we not use or disclose your health information for a particular reason related to treatment, payment, Akron Care Center’ general health care operations, and/or to a particular family member, other relative or close personal friend. We ask that all such requests be made in writing on a form provided by our Akron Care Center. Further, we will abide by your requests with regard to the disclosure of your clinical and personal records to anyone outside of the Akron Care Center, except in an emergency, if you are being transferred to another health care institution, or the disclosure is required by law.
• If you are dissatisfied with the manner in which or the location where you are receiving communications from us that are related to you health information, you may request that we provide you with such information by alternative means or at alternative locations. Such a request must be made in writing, and submitted to the Administrator. We will attempt to accommodate all reasonable requests.
• You may request to inspect and/or obtain copies of health information about you, which will be provided to you in time frames established by law. You may make such requests orally or in writing; however, in order to better respond to your request we ask that you make such requests in writing on our Akron Care Center’s standard form. If you request to have copies made, we will charge you a reasonable fee.
• If you believe that any health information in your record is incorrect or if you believe that important information is missing, you may request that we correct the existing information or add the missing information. Such requests must be made in writing, and must provide a reason to support the amendment. We ask that you use the form provided by our Akron Care Center to make such requests. For a request form, please contact the Administrator.
• You may request that we provide you with a written accounting of all disclosures made by us during the time period for which you request (not to exceed 6 years.) We ask that such requests be made in writing on a form provided by our Akron Care Center.
Please note that an accounting will not apply to any of the following types of disclosures: disclosures made for reasons of treatment, payment or health care operations; disclosures made to you or your legal representative, or any other individual involved with your care; disclosures to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials; and disclosures for national security purposes. You will not be charged for your first accounting request in any 12 month period. However, for any requests that you make thereafter, you will be charged a reasonable, cost-based fee.
• You have the right to obtain a paper copy of our Notice of Information Practices upon request.
• You may revoke an authorization to use or disclose health information, except to the extent that action has already been taken. Such a request must be made in writing.
For More Information Or To Report A Problem
If you have questions and would like additional information, you may contact our Akron Care Center Administrator.
If you believe that your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us. These complaints must be filed in writing on a form provided by our Akron Care Center. The complaint form may be obtained from the Administrator, and when completed should be returned to same. You may also file a complaint with the secretary of the federal Department of Health and Human Services. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.
Effective Date: March 23, 2013
Added: February 7, 2019