Tip of the Month
A Refresher on the Volunteer Regs
H
ospice is the only program under Medicare that requires the use of volunteers as part of its dayto-day operations. Therefore, it is important for a hospice program to know the regulations for volunteers under the Medicare Hospice Conditions of Participation (Hospice CoPs) and ensure it remains compliant.
There should also be documentation that the interdisciplinary team assessed the patient and family’s need for a volunteer as well as the time spent and the services provided by the volunteer(s). Hospices must also document and demonstrate viable and ongoing efforts to recruit and retain volunteers. NHPCO has comprehensive resources that outline all of the Medicare Hospice regulatory requirements for a volunteer program: • Medicare Hospice Conditions of Participation 42 CFR 418.78: Volunteers (This six-page PDF includes the regulatory requirements for volunteers; interpretive guidelines which provide more detail; and additional explanatory language from CMS.) • Tip Sheet on Implementing the Volunteer Regulatory Requirements (1/09 edition) • The Volunteer Regs Revisited (11/09 NewsLine Article)
The Role of Volunteers
In addition to serving as companions, homemakers and administrative staff, volunteers often serve as medical directors, nurses, alternative counselors, and spiritual advisors. Whatever the size or scope of your hospice volunteer program, keep in mind the following: • It must have a training program; • It must utilize volunteers for direct patient care or administrative activities; and • It must document that the volunteer program achieves a 5 percent cost savings through the use of volunteers.
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http://www.nhpco.org/files/public/regulatory/418.78_Volunteers.pdfhttp://www.nhpco.org/files/public/regulatory/418.78_Volunteers.pdfhttp://www.nhpco.org/files/public/regulatory/418.78_Volunteers.pdfhttp://www.nhpco.org/files/public/regulatory/418.78-Volunteers-COPS_by_topic.pdfhttp://www.nhpco.org/files/public/regulatory/418.78-Volunteers-COPS_by_topic.pdfhttp://www.nhpco.org/files/public/regulatory/418.78-Volunteers-COPS_by_topic.pdfhttp://www.nhpco.org/files/public/regulatory/VolunteerRegs_Nov_09_NL.PDF
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NewsLine - April 2012