R432-750-31. Safeguards for Patients' Monies and Valuables

(1) The hospice must safeguard patients' cash resources, personal property, and valuables which have been entrusted to the licensee or hospice staff.

(2) A hospice is not required to handle patient's cash resources or valuables. However, if the hospice accepts a patient's cash resources or valuables, then the hospice must safeguard the patient's cash resources in accordance with the following:

(a) No licensee or hospice staff member may use patients' monies or valuables as his own or mingle them with his own. Patients' monies and valuables shall be separated, and intact and free from any liability that the licensee incurs in the use of his own or the institution's funds and valuables.

(b) The licensee must maintain accurate records of patients' monies and valuables entrusted to the licensee.

(c) Records of patients' monies which are maintained as a drawing account must include a control account for all receipts and expenditures, and an account for each patient and supporting receipts filed in chronological order.

(d) Each account shall be kept current with columns for debits, credits, and balance.

(e) Records of patients' monies and other valuables entrusted to the licensee for safekeeping shall include a copy of the receipt furnished for funds received.

(f) All money entrusted with the facility in a patient account in excess of $150 must be deposited in an interest-bearing account in a local financial institution within five days of receipt.

(3) Each inpatient hospice must maintain a separate account for patient funds specific to that inpatient hospice and shall not commingle with patient funds from another inpatient hospice.

(4) Upon discharge, a patient's money and valuables, which have been entrusted to the licensee, shall be returned to the patient that day. Money and valuables kept in an interest-bearing account shall be available to the patient within three working days.

(5) Within 30 days following the death of a patient, except in a medical examiner case, the patient's money and valuables entrusted to the licensee shall be surrendered to the responsible persons, or to the administrator of the estate.