The Clients (~45 Minutes)

Clients and Where They Live

When clients need help with care for an extended period of time, it is referred to as long-term care.

A client may be:

Elderly and frail.
Have a disease or condition making it hard or impossible to do certain tasks without help.
Have fallen or had another type of accident.
Have a developmental disability.

A client’s care team

You are not alone in providing care and support to a client. There are many others who may be part of a client’s care team.

Care team members can include the client’s health care provider(s), family and friends, a guardian, other LTC workers, nurses or other skilled professionals, and/or a case manager or social worker from Home and Community Services (HCS) or an Area Agency on Aging (AAA).

Client Rights

A client receiving care has certain rights protected by federal and state laws. It is a part of your job to understand and protect a client’s rights. The state law regarding client rights can be found in RCW 70.129 and in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 388-106-1300.

You must:

Treat clients with respect.
Support a client’s choices and independence.
Protect a client’s privacy and confidential information.
Keep clients safe.

Below are some of the client rights protected by law in our state.

A client needs and has the right to privacy When performing personal care: Screen or cover a client. Make sure doors and window curtains are closed. Only share medical, financial, or other personal information about a client with appropriate care team members. Give the client privacy for phone calls and visits. Let a client open mail in private. Respect privacy.

Choice & Freedom

Clients have the right to:

Take an active role in making or changing their care plan.
Refuse care, medications, or treatment.
Choose their activities, schedules (including meal times and when care is given), health care, clothing, and hairstyle.
Join in social, religious, and community activities.
Manage his or her finances.
Be free from chemical or physical restraints.
Express a complaint or concern without fear of retaliation.
Be with people both inside and outside of their residence including family, friends, his or her doctor, and an Ombudsman (if in an AFH or ALF).

Confidentiality and Privacy

Clients have the right to:

Have all medical, financial, and personal matters kept private.
Have privacy in his or her own personal space and during personal care.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

HIPAA is a federal law that adds additional requirements for the use and disclosure of health information.

A major goal of HIPAA is to make sure a person’s health information is properly protected while still allowing the flow of health information needed to provide high-quality health care.

Your employer will review with you what you need to know to follow the HIPAA regulations as it applies to your job.

Your role in protecting client rights

Knowing that a client has rights and what they are is only one step. Protecting these rights each time you are working with a client is part of your daily responsibility. Protecting client rights means you do the following things every time you interact with a client:

Treat clients with respect.
Support a client’s choices and independence.
- Protect a client’s privacy and confidential information.
  - Keep clients safe.

As you start your new job, it may seem easy to commit to always protecting a client’s rights. There will be days when it will be more difficult to do. You may be tired, understaffed, behind in your schedule, or frustrated by a client’s choice.

Start from the beginning of your job to always ask about and honor a client’s choices. This will help make it second nature during the more difficult days.

Ask about and honor a client’s choices.