Veterans Health Administration
(VHA) employees will respect and support
your rights as a patient. We are
pleased you have selected us to provide
your health care. We plan to make your
visit or stay as pleasant for you as
possible. The medical center respects the patient’s right to make decisions about his or her care, treatment and services, and to involve the patient’s family in care, treatment and services decisions to the extent permitted by the patient of surrogate decision-maker. ‘Family’ is defined as a group of two or more persons united by blood, or adoptive, marital, domestic partnership, or other legal ties. The family may also be a person or persons not legally related to the individual (such as significant other, friend or caregiver) whom the individual considers to be family. A family member may be the surrogate decision-maker, as defined in VHA Handbook 1004.02, if authorized to make care decisions for the individual, should he or she lose decision-making capacity or choose to delegate decision making to another. The medical center allows a family member, friend or other individual to be present with the patient for emotional support during the course of stay. The medical center allows for the presence of a support individual of the patients choice, unless the individual’s presence infringes on others’ rights or safety, or is medically or therapeutically contraindicated. The individual may or may not be the patient’s surrogate decision-maker or legally authorized representative. The hospital prohibits discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression. Your basic rights and responsibilities
are outlined on this page. Please
talk with VA treatment team members or
a patient
advocate if you have any questions
or would like more information about
your rights.
Respect and Nondiscrimination
- You will be treated with dignity,
compassion, and respect as an individual.
Your privacy will be protected. You
will receive care in a safe environment.
We will seek to honor your personal
and religious values.
- You or someone you choose have the
right to keep and spend your own money.
You have the right to receive an accounting
of VA held funds.
- Treatment will respect your personal
freedoms. In rare cases the use of
medication and physical restraints
may be used if all other efforts to
keep you or others free from harm have
not worked.
- As an inpatient or long-term care
resident, you may wear your own clothes
and keep personal items. This depends
on your medical condition.
- As an inpatient or long-term care
resident, you have the right to social
interaction and regular exercise. You
will have the opportunity for religious
worship and spiritual support. You
may decide whether or not participate
in these activities. You may decide
whether or not to perform tasks in
or for the Medical Center.
- As an inpatient or long-term care
resident, you have the right to communicate
freely and privately. You may have
or refuse visitors. You will have access
to public telephones. You may participate
in civic rights.
- As a long-term care resident, you
can organize and take part in residents
groups in the facility. Your family
can meet the families of other residents.
- In order to provide a safe treatment
environment for all patients and staff
you are asked to respect other patients
and staff and to follow the facility's
rules. Avoid unsafe acts that place
others at risk for accidents or injuries.
Please immediately report any condition
you believe is unsafe.
Information Disclosure and Confidentiality
- You will be given information about
the health benefits that you can receive.
The information will be provided in
a way you can understand.
- You will receive information about
the costs of your care, if any, before
you are treated. You are responsible
for paying for your portion of the
costs associated with your care.
- Your medical record will be kept
confidential. Information about you
will not be released without your consent
unless authorized by law (i.e. State
public health reporting). You have
the right to information in your medical
record and may request copy of your
records. This will be provided except
in rare situations where your VA physician
feels the information will be harmful
to you. In that situation, you have
the right to have this discussed with
you by your VA provider.
- You will be informed of all outcomes
of care, including any injuries caused
by your medical care. You will be informed
about how to request compensation for
injuries.
Participation
in Treatment Decisions
- You, and any persons you choose,
will be involved in all decisions about
your care. You will be given information
you can understand about the benefits
and risks of treatment. You will be
given other options. You can agree
to or refuse treatment. Refusing treatment
will not affect your rights to future
care but you have the responsibility
to understand the possible results
to your health. If you believe you
cannot follow the treatment plan you
have a responsibility to notify the
treatment team.
- As an inpatient or long-term care
resident, you will be provided any
transportation necessary for your treatment
plan.
- You will be given, in writing, the
name and professional title of the
provider in charge of your care. As
a partner in the health care process,
you have the right to be involved in
choosing your provider. You will be
educated about your role and responsibilities
as a patient. This includes your participation
in decision-making and care at the
end of life.
- Tell your provider about your current
condition, medicines (including over
the counter and herbals) and medical
history. Also, share any other information
that affects your health. You should
ask questions when you don't understand
something about your care. This will
help in providing you the best care
possible.
- You have the right to have your pain
assessed and to receive treatment to
manage your pain. You and your treatment
team will develop a pain management
plan together. You are expected to
help the treatment team by telling
them if you have pain and if the treatment
is working.
- You have the right to choose whether
or not you will participate in a research
project. Any research will be clearly
identified. Potential risks of the
research will be identified and there
will be no pressure on you to participate.
- You will be included in resolving
any ethical issues about your care.
You might consult with the Medical
Center's Ethics Committee and/or other
staff knowledgeable about health care
ethics.
- If you or the Medical Center believes
that you have been neglected, abused,
or exploited, you will receive help.
Complaints
- You are encouraged and expected to
seek help from your treatment team
and/or patient advocate if you have
problems or complaints. You will be
given understandable information about
the complaint process available for
you. You may complain verbally or in
writing, without fear of retaliation.
Remember
- You are responsible for providing
to the best of your knowledge, accurate
and complete information about present
complains, past illness, hospitalizations,
medications, and other matters related
to your health.
- You and/or your family are responsible
for reporting perceived risks in patient's
care and unexpected changes in his/her
condition. The patient and his family
help the hospital Improve on its understanding
of the patient environment by providing
feedback about service needs and expectations.
- Patients are responsible for asking
questions when they do not understand
what they have been told about their
care or what they are expected to do.
- The patient and family are responsible
for following the care, service, or
treatment plan developed. The patient
or his/her caregiver should express
any concerns about their ability to
follow and comply with the proposed
care plan or course of treatment.
- The patient and his/her family are
responsible for the outcome if they
do not follow the care, service, or
treatment plan.
The information above was taken from
the official VA document number VA 10-88,
dated September 2006. You
may view this document in .PDF format
by using this link. You will need
the Adobe Acrobat reader to view this
document.
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