(a) A hospice facility shall provide, or make provision for, all of the following services and requirements:

(1) (A) Medical direction and adequate staff. Minimum staffing standards that require at least one registered nurse to be on duty 24 hours per day and a maximum of six patients assigned at any given time per direct caregiver.

(B) For purposes of this section, any additional direct caregiver necessary beyond the registered nurse required pursuant to paragraph (1) may include a registered nurse, as described in Section 2732 of the Business and Professions Code, a licensed vocational nurse, as described in Section 2864 of the Business and Professions Code, and a certified nurse assistant.

(2) Skilled nursing services.

(3) Palliative care.

(4) Social services and counseling services.

(5) Bereavement services.

(6) Volunteer services.

(7) Dietary services.

(8) Pharmaceutical services.

(9) Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language therapy.

(10) Patient rights.

(11) Disaster preparedness. Disaster preparedness plans for both internal and external disasters shall protect hospice patients, employees, and visitors, and reflect coordination with local agencies that are responsible for disaster preparedness and emergency response.

(12) An adequate, safe, and sanitary physical environment.

(13) Housekeeping services.

(14) Patient medical records.

(15) Other administrative requirements.

(b) The department may adopt regulations that establish standards for the provision of the services in subdivision (a) and any additional qualifications and requirements for licensure above the requirements of this article.

(c) A hospice patient has a right to be informed of his or her rights, and the hospice facility shall protect and promote the exercise of these rights. The hospice facility shall comply with the patients’ rights regulation in Section 418.52 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations unless the department adopts regulations establishing alternative standards pursuant to Section 1250.1. In addition, the hospice facility shall provide each patient with all of the following:

(1) Information at admission to a hospice facility pursuant to Chapter 3.9 (commencing with Section 1599).

(2) Full information regarding his or her health status and options for end-of-life care.

(3) Care that reflects individual preferences regarding end-of-life care, including the right to refuse any treatment or procedure.

(4) Treatment with consideration, respect, and full recognition of dignity and individuality, including privacy in treatment and care of personal needs.

(5) Right to visitors of the patient’s choosing, at any time the patient chooses, and privacy for those visits.

(d) The hospice facility shall continue to provide services to family and friends after the patient’s stay in the hospice facility in accordance with the patient’s plan of care. These services may be provided by the hospice services program that operates the hospice facility.

(e) The hospice facility shall demonstrate the ability to meet licensing requirements and shall be fully responsible for meeting all licensing requirements, regardless of whether those requirements are met through direct provision by the facility or under contract with another entity. The hospice facility’s reliance on contractors to meet the licensing requirements does not exempt the hospice facility from any requirements or in any way alter the hospice facility’s responsibilities. When a health facility provides services under contract to a hospice facility, nothing shall preclude the department from holding the health facility responsible for violations of the law, if the department determines that the facts also constitute a separate violation for the health facility providing services under contract.

(f) The hospice facility shall provide inpatient hospice care in compliance with Section 418.3 and Sections 418.52 to 418.116, inclusive, of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations until the department adopts regulations establishing alternative standards pursuant to Section 1250.1.

(Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 673, Sec. 5. (SB 135) Effective January 1, 2013.)