Welcome to Integrated Home Care Agency LLC.
Our mission is to provide compassionate, respectful, safe, reliable,
and person-centered care to individuals in the comfort of their
homes.
As a Home Health Aide (HHA), you are an important member of the care
team. The quality of your work directly affects the health, safety,
dignity, independence, and quality of life of the clients we serve.
This handbook establishes the Agency's expectations, policies,
procedures, and standards of professional conduct. Every employee is
expected to read, understand, and follow this handbook, applicable
Agency policies, the client's care, applicable laws and regulations, and
instructions provided by authorized supervisors or clinical
personnel.
1 Purpose of the Handbook
This handbook provides employees with general information concerning
employment with Integrated Home Care Agency LLC.
It is intended to:
Establish consistent workplace expectations.
Promote safe and high-quality client care.
Protect client rights and dignity.
Establish professional standards.
Explain employee responsibilities.
Provide guidance regarding Agency procedures.
Promote compliance with applicable federal, state, local, payer,
and regulatory requirements.
This handbook does not contain every Agency policy or every situation
that an employee may encounter. Employees are responsible for asking
management or their supervisor when they are uncertain about a
procedure, assignment, or client-care issue.
Nothing in this handbook authorizes an employee to perform a task
outside the employee's training, competency, certification, job
description, care plan, or legal scope of practice.
2 Mission and Core Values
Integrated Home Care Agency LLC is committed to providing
high-quality home-based services while respecting every client's
individuality, independence, privacy, culture, preferences, and
dignity.
Our core values are:
Compassion
We treat clients and families with kindness, patience, and
understanding.
Respect
We respect the client's choices, privacy, culture, beliefs, property,
and personal space.
Safety
We place the health and safety of clients and employees first.
Integrity
We are honest, ethical, dependable, and accountable.
Professionalism
We maintain appropriate boundaries and conduct ourselves as
healthcare professionals.
Reliability
We arrive on time, perform assigned duties, communicate changes
promptly, and complete documentation accurately.
Person-Centered Care
We recognize that each client has unique needs, preferences,
abilities, and goals.
3 Equal Employment Opportunity
Integrated Home Care Agency LLC provides equal employment
opportunities to qualified applicants and employees in accordance with
applicable federal, state, and local laws.
The Company prohibits unlawful discrimination based on legally
protected characteristics.
Employment decisions may include consideration of qualifications,
experience, performance, attendance, availability, job requirements,
client needs, and other legitimate business factors.
Employees who believe they have experienced discrimination should
report the concern promptly to:
Office Assistant: Chrisshanna Brown
Telephone: 734-742-5971
Email: integratedhomecareagencyllc@gmail.com
4 Employment Relationship
Unless otherwise provided by a written employment agreement or
applicable law, employment is intended to be on an at-will basis.
This means that either the employee or the Agency may end the
employment relationship at any time, with or without notice, subject to
applicable law.
Nothing in this handbook creates a contract of employment, guarantee
of hours, guarantee of continued employment, or promise of a particular
assignment.
5 Employee Qualifications and Personnel Requirements
Employees must satisfy all qualifications applicable to their
position and assigned duties.
Depending upon the position and applicable requirements, the Agency
may require:
Completed employment application.
Meet and greet between client, caregiver and administrator or
their representatives.
Verification of identity and authorization to work.
Required education or certification.
Required HHA or CNA credentials, where applicable.
Background screening.
Criminal history screening when required.
Reference checks.
CPR/First Aid certification when required.
Skills and competency assessments.
Orientation and required training.
Driver's license and automobile insurance when driving is part of
the job.
Other documentation required by law, payer, client, or Agency
policy.
Employees must immediately notify management if a license,
certification, registration, driver's license, or other required
credential expires, is suspended, is revoked, or becomes subject to
disciplinary action.
6 Job Duties and Scope of Practice
The HHA's duties are determined by the employee's job description,
training, competency, applicable law, payer requirements, and the
client's authorized plan of care/service plan.
Typical HHA duties may include:
Assistance with bathing.
Grooming.
Oral hygiene.
Dressing.
Toileting.
Incontinence care.
Ambulation.
Positioning.
Transfers.
Assistance with activities of daily living.
Meal preparation according to the authorized plan.
Light housekeeping related to the client's care.
Laundry related to the client's care.
Assistance with maintaining a safe environment.
Observation and reporting of changes in the client's
condition.
Other duties specifically authorized by the care plan and within
the employee's scope.
HHAs must not:
Diagnose medical conditions.
Change a client's medical treatment.
Change medication doses.
Perform procedures for which they are not trained and
authorized.
Provide nursing services unless separately licensed and assigned
to perform such services.
Make medical decisions outside their scope.
Accept responsibility for tasks they are not competent to
perform.
When uncertain, STOP and contact the supervisor.
7 Client Rights and Dignity
Every client has the right to:
Be treated with dignity and respect.
Receive care free from abuse, neglect, exploitation,
discrimination, and retaliation.
Have privacy.
Participate in decisions concerning their care.
Receive services consistent with the authorized plan of
care.
Have personal information protected.
Be treated with courtesy and professionalism.
Voice complaints without retaliation.
Receive information in a manner they can understand.
Maintain personal choices and independence to the extent safely
possible.
Have their cultural and personal preferences respected.
Have their property treated respectfully.
Employees must never intentionally humiliate, intimidate, threaten,
insult, ridicule, or otherwise mistreat a client.
8 Person-Centered Care
Employees should encourage clients to perform tasks independently
whenever they are safely able to do so.
Employees should:
Ask before assisting.
Explain what they are doing.
Respect client preferences.
Encourage independence.
Protect privacy during personal care.
Use respectful language.
Allow reasonable choices.
Avoid unnecessary restrictions.
Respect cultural practices.
Communicate changes in the client's needs.
Employees should never assume that every client wants care performed
in the same manner.
9 Confidentiality and HIPAA
Client information is confidential.
Employees may only access, discuss, use, or disclose client
information when necessary to perform assigned duties or when otherwise
authorized.
Confidential information may include:
Employees must not:
Discuss clients in public places.
Discuss clients with friends or unauthorized
individuals.
Post client information online.
Take unauthorized photographs.
Share client records.
Leave confidential paperwork unsecured.
Access records without a legitimate work-related reason.
A suspected privacy violation must immediately be reported to
management.
10 Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation, and Mandatory Reporting
The Agency has zero tolerance for abuse, neglect, exploitation, or
mistreatment.
Potential abuse may include:
Physical Abuse
Hitting, pushing, kicking, striking, inappropriate restraint, or
another physical mistreatment.
Verbal or Emotional Abuse
Threats, insults, humiliation, intimidation, harassment, or
deliberate emotional mistreatment.
Sexual Abuse
Any unwanted sexual contact, sexual exploitation, or inappropriate
sexual behavior.
Neglect
Failure to provide required care or deliberately abandoning a
client.
Financial Exploitation
Stealing money or property, coercing financial transactions,
borrowing money, unauthorized use of bank cards, or manipulating a
client for financial benefit.
Employees must immediately report suspected abuse, neglect,
exploitation, or unsafe conditions according to Agency policy and
applicable law.
Emergency: Call 911 when immediate danger
exists.
Supervisor: Janeclare Agbor-Baiyee
Telephone: 734-635-7044
Employees must never attempt to investigate suspected abuse
independently unless specifically authorized to do so.
11 Infection Prevention and Control
Employees must follow infection-control practices at all times.
Required practices include:
Proper hand hygiene.
Appropriate use of gloves and PPE.
Safe handling of bodily fluids.
Proper disposal of contaminated materials.
Cleaning and disinfecting equipment as required.
Following respiratory hygiene practices.
Avoiding work when illness creates an unsafe risk to
clients.
Following Agency and client-specific infection-control
procedures.
Hands should be washed before and after client contact and whenever
otherwise required.
12 Medication Assistance
Employees may only assist with medications to the extent permitted
by:
Employees must not independently change medication doses, discontinue
medication, prescribe medication, or make clinical decisions.
Any medication error, missed medication, adverse reaction, refusal,
or concern must be reported immediately according to Agency
procedures.
13 Client Safety and Fall Prevention
Employees must maintain a safe environment.
Employees should:
Keep walkways clear.
Use appropriate transfer techniques.
Follow prescribed mobility instructions.
Use assistive devices correctly.
Keep frequently used items accessible.
Report hazards.
Report changes in mobility.
Follow fall-prevention instructions.
Never leave a client in an unsafe position.
Employees must not use unsafe lifting techniques or attempt transfers
beyond their training or physical capability.
14 Emergency Procedures
In an emergency:
Remain calm.
Protect yourself and the client from immediate danger.
Call 911 when emergency medical assistance is
needed.
Provide assistance within your training and
certification.
Notify the supervisor as soon as reasonably possible.
Follow Agency emergency procedures.
Examples of emergencies include:
15 Incident and Accident Reporting
Employees must immediately report incidents involving clients,
employees, visitors, or property.
Examples include:
Employees must complete Agency incident documentation accurately and
promptly.
Incident reports must contain facts, not speculation.
Do not alter, falsify, backdate, or destroy incident
documentation.
16 Documentation and Recordkeeping
Documentation must be:
Employees must document only services actually performed.
Employees must never:
Falsify records.
Document care that was not provided.
Clock in or out for another employee.
Alter time records improperly.
Sign another person's documentation.
If an error is made, follow the Agency's correction procedure.
17 Electronic Visit Verification and Timekeeping
When EVV is required, employees must accurately record required visit
information using the Agency's approved system.
Employees are responsible for:
Clocking in accurately.
Clocking out accurately.
Recording the actual location/service information required by the
system.
Reporting technical problems promptly.
Correcting errors through the approved process.
Never allowing another person to use their credentials.
Never asking another employee to clock in or out for
them.
For Michigan Medicaid Home Help agency providers, EVV requirements
apply to agency providers, and MDHHS requires Home Help agencies to use
EVV according to applicable program requirements.
Time records must accurately reflect time worked.
18 Attendance, Punctuality, and Call-Off Procedures
Reliable attendance is essential because clients depend on scheduled
care.
Employees are expected to:
Arrive on time.
Be ready to work at the beginning of the scheduled
shift.
Remain for the entire scheduled assignment unless released by
authorized management.
Notify the Agency promptly when unable to work.
Follow the Agency's call-off procedure.
Employees must not abandon a client.
Call-Off Procedure
Employees unable to report for work must contact:
The Office Assistant: Chrisshanna Brown
Telephone: 734-742-5971
Whenever possible, employees should provide advance notice.
Repeated tardiness, absenteeism, no-call/no-show events, or
abandonment of assignments may result in corrective action.
19 Scheduling and Client Assignments
Employees must follow the schedule provided by the Client and
Agency.
Employees may not independently:
Change a client's scheduled service hours.
Trade assignments without authorization.
Add unauthorized hours.
Remove themselves from an assignment without notifying
management.
Arrange private services with Agency clients.
Provide services outside authorized hours without
approval.
Staying longer than authorized hours by will not be paid by the
Agency.
If a client requests additional services or hours, the employee must
contact the office.
20 Transportation and Driving
Employees who drive clients must maintain:
A valid driver's license.
Required automobile insurance.
A safe and properly maintained vehicle.
Any other documentation required by the Agency.
Employees must obey traffic laws.
Employees may not drive while impaired, distracted, excessively
fatigued, or otherwise unable to drive safely.
Texting while driving is prohibited.
Employees should not transport clients in a vehicle that does not
meet Agency safety requirements.
21 Personal Conduct and Professional Boundaries
Employees must maintain professional boundaries at all times.
Employees must not:
Become romantically or sexually involved with a client.
Borrow money from clients.
Lend money to clients.
Accept unauthorized financial benefits.
Ask clients for loans.
Use clients' property for personal purposes.
Conduct unauthorized business with clients.
Become involved in family disputes.
Use a client's home for personal activities.
Bring unauthorized visitors to a client's home.
Sleep during a shift unless specifically authorized by the care
plan and Agency policy.
Employees must remain focused on the client's care and safety.
22 Gifts, Money, Borrowing, and Financial Transactions
Employees should not accept cash, loans, valuable gifts,
or financial benefits from clients.
Employees may not:
Borrow money from clients.
Loan money to clients.
Use a client's credit/debit card for personal purchases.
Become a beneficiary of a client's estate.
Accept a client's checks for personal use.
Handle client finances outside authorized duties.
Ask clients for gifts or money.
If a client offers a gift, the employee should politely decline when
required by Agency policy and notify management if necessary.
23 Social Media and Electronic Communications
Employees must protect client confidentiality online.
Employees may not post:
Client names.
Client photographs.
Client addresses.
Client medical information.
Client stories that identify the client.
Screenshots of client records.
Information that could reasonably identify a client.
Employees should not "friend," follow, or otherwise connect with
clients through personal social media accounts when doing so would
violate professional boundaries or Agency policy.
24 Client Privacy and Photography
Employees may not photograph, record, or video a client without
appropriate authorization.
Personal devices must not be used to photograph confidential records
or protected health information unless specifically authorized under
Agency procedures.
Any authorized photographs must be handled according to Agency
privacy requirements.
25 Personal Cell Phone Use
Personal cell phone use during working time should be limited to
necessary personal matters and emergencies.
Employees must never allow personal phone use to interfere with
client safety or care.
Employees must not:
Text while driving.
Record clients without authorization.
Photograph client records.
Post about clients.
Conduct personal business during client-care time.
26 Smoking, Alcohol, Drugs, and Impairment
Employees must report to work capable of safely performing their
duties.
The use, possession, distribution, or impairment from illegal drugs
while working is prohibited.
Employees may not consume alcohol while providing services.
Employees may not work while impaired by alcohol, illegal drugs,
medication, fatigue, or any other substance or condition that makes the
employee unable to safely perform assigned duties.
Employees taking prescription or over-the-counter medication that may
impair their ability to safely work should notify management as
appropriate.
27 Workplace Violence and Threatening Behavior
Threats, intimidation, physical violence, harassment, or aggressive
conduct are prohibited.
Employees should immediately report:
If immediate danger exists, call 911.
Employees should leave an unsafe environment when necessary to
protect themselves or others and contact the Agency as soon as
reasonably possible.
28 Harassment and Discrimination
The Agency prohibits unlawful harassment and discrimination.
Harassment may include inappropriate verbal, physical, visual, or
electronic conduct.
Employees should report concerns promptly to management.
Reports will be taken seriously and reviewed according to applicable
procedures.
Retaliation against an employee who makes a good-faith complaint or
participates in an investigation is prohibited.
29 Dress Code and Personal Hygiene
Employees must present a clean, professional appearance.
Employees should maintain:
Clean clothing or Agency-required uniform (scrub)
Appropriate footwear.
Good personal hygiene.
Clean hands and fingernails.
Hair secured when necessary for safety.
Minimal fragrance when fragrance may affect clients.
Clothing must be appropriate for providing personal care and
performing physical tasks safely.
30 Health Requirements and Employee Illness
Employees have a responsibility to protect clients from avoidable
infection.
Employees who are ill with symptoms that may pose a risk to clients
should contact the office before reporting to work.
Employees may be required to comply with Agency health-screening,
medical-clearance, communicable-disease, or infection-control
requirements as permitted or required by applicable law.
Employees must not conceal an illness or exposure that could create a
significant risk to vulnerable clients.
31 Compensation and Payroll
Employees will be paid according to the Agency's established
compensation policies and applicable law.
Employees must accurately report all time worked.
Questions regarding pay should be directed to:
Payroll Contact: JANECLARE
AGBOR-BAIYEE
Telephone: 734-833-3706
Email: JENNYCLARE202@YAHOO.COM
Employees should review pay statements and promptly report suspected
errors.
The Agency prohibits falsification of time records.
32 Workers' Compensation and Workplace Injuries
Employees must immediately report workplace injuries or illnesses to
management.
This includes injuries occurring:
At a client's home.
While traveling for authorized work.
While performing assigned duties.
While using Agency equipment.
During other covered work activities.
Employees should seek emergency treatment when necessary.
Employees must complete required injury documentation promptly.
33 Performance Standards
Employees are expected to:
Provide safe care.
Follow care plans.
Maintain confidentiality.
Communicate professionally.
Arrive on time.
Complete documentation.
Follow infection-control procedures.
Maintain professional boundaries.
Report changes in client condition.
Follow supervisory instructions.
Maintain required credentials.
Treat clients respectfully.
Protect client property.
Follow all applicable Agency policies.
Failure to meet performance expectations may result in corrective
action.
34 Corrective Action and Discipline
Depending upon the circumstances, corrective action may include:
Coaching.
Verbal counseling.
Written warning.
Performance improvement plan.
Suspension.
Final warning.
Termination of employment.
The Agency may determine the appropriate response based on the
seriousness of the conduct, prior history, client safety, regulatory
requirements, and other relevant circumstances.
Serious violations may result in immediate termination.
Examples of serious violations include:
Abuse or neglect.
Theft.
Falsification of records.
Falsification of time or EVV information.
Client abandonment.
Serious confidentiality violations.
Working while impaired.
Violence or threats.
Sexual misconduct.
Deliberate mistreatment of a client.
Working outside required credentials.
Fraud.
Serious safety violations.
35 No Retaliation
Integrated Home Care Agency LLC prohibits retaliation against an
employee for making a good-faith report of:
Employees should report suspected retaliation to management
immediately.
36 Policy Changes
The Agency may modify, revise, add, or remove policies as necessary
to comply with changes in law, regulations, payer requirements, client
needs, accreditation standards, or Agency operations.
Employees will be notified of material policy changes through
appropriate Agency communication.
Where applicable, the current version of Agency policies and
applicable law will control.
End of handbook.
