As used in this chapter:

(A) "Hospice care program" means a coordinated program of home, outpatient, and inpatient care and services that is operated by a person or public agency and that provides the following care and services to hospice patients, including services as indicated below to hospice patients' families, through a medically directed interdisciplinary team, under interdisciplinary plans of care established pursuant to section 3712.06 of the Revised Code, in order to meet the physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and other special needs that are experienced during the final stages of illness, dying, and bereavement:

(1) Nursing care by or under the supervision of a registered nurse;

(2) Physical, occupational, or speech or language therapy, unless waived by the department of health pursuant to rules adopted under division (A) of section 3712.03 of the Revised Code;

(3) Medical social services by a social worker under the direction of a physician;

(4) Services of a home health aide;

(5) Medical supplies, including drugs and biologicals, and the use of medical appliances;

(6) Physician's services;

(7) Short-term inpatient care, including both palliative and respite care and procedures;

(8) Counseling for hospice patients and hospice patients' families;

(9) Services of volunteers under the direction of the provider of the hospice care program;

(10) Bereavement services for hospice patients' families.

"Hospice care program" does not include a pediatric respite care program.

(B) "Hospice patient" means a patient, other than a pediatric respite care patient, who has been diagnosed as terminally ill, has an anticipated life expectancy of six months or less, and has voluntarily requested and is receiving care from a person or public agency licensed under this chapter to provide a hospice care program.

(C) "Hospice patient's family" means a hospice patient's immediate family members, including a spouse, brother, sister, child, or parent, and any other relative or individual who has significant personal ties to the patient and who is designated as a member of the patient's family by mutual agreement of the patient, the relative or individual, and the patient's interdisciplinary team.

(D) "Interdisciplinary team" means a working unit composed of professional and lay persons that includes at least a physician, a registered nurse, a social worker, a member of the clergy or a counselor, and a volunteer.

(E) "Palliative care" means specialized care for a patient of any age who has been diagnosed with a serious or life-threatening illness that is provided at any stage of the illness by an interdisciplinary team working in consultation with other health care professionals, including those who may be seeking to cure the illness, and that aims to do all of the following:

(1) Relieve the symptoms, stress, and suffering resulting from the illness;

(2) Improve the quality of life of the patient and the patient's family;

(3) Address the patient's physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs;

(4) Facilitate patient autonomy, access to information, and medical decision making.

(F) "Physician" means a person authorized under Chapter 4731. of the Revised Code to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery.

(G) "Attending physician" means the physician identified by the hospice patient, pediatric respite care patient, hospice patient's family, or pediatric respite care patient's family as having primary responsibility for the medical care of the hospice patient or pediatric respite care patient.

(H) "Registered nurse" means a person registered under Chapter 4723. of the Revised Code to practice professional nursing.

(I) "Social worker" means a person licensed under Chapter 4757. of the Revised Code to practice as a social worker or independent social worker.

(J) "Pediatric respite care program" means a program operated by a person or public agency that provides inpatient respite care and related services, including all of the following services, only to pediatric respite care patients and, as indicated below, pediatric respite care patients' families, in order to meet the physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and other special needs that are experienced during or leading up to the final stages of illness, dying, and bereavement:

(1) Short-term inpatient care, including both palliative and respite care and procedures;

(2) Nursing care by or under the supervision of a registered nurse;

(3) Physician's services;

(4) Medical social services by a social worker under the direction of a physician;

(5) Medical supplies, including drugs and biologicals, and the use of medical appliances;

(6) Counseling for pediatric respite care patients and pediatric respite care patients' families;

(7) Bereavement services for respite care patients' families.

"Pediatric respite care program" does not include a hospice care program.

(K) "Pediatric respite care patient" means a patient, other than a hospice patient, who is less than twenty-seven years of age and to whom all of the following conditions apply:

(1) The patient has been diagnosed with a disease or condition that is life-threatening and is expected to shorten the life expectancy that would have applied to the patient absent the patient's diagnosis, regardless of whether the patient is terminally ill.

(2) The diagnosis described in division (K)(1) of this section occurred while the patient was less than eighteen years of age.

(3) The patient has voluntarily requested and is receiving care from a person or public agency licensed under this chapter to provide a pediatric respite care program.

(L) "Pediatric respite care patient's family" means a pediatric respite care patient's family members, including a spouse, brother, sister, child, or parent, and any other relative or individual who has significant personal ties to the patient and who is designated as a member of the patient's family by mutual agreement of the patient, the relative or individual, and the patient's interdisciplinary team.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 286, §1, eff. 3/20/2019.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.194, HB 303, §1, eff. 3/20/2013.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 10/16/2009.

Effective Date: 03-18-1997 .