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COMAR 10.07.05.16 — Client's Rights and Responsibilities (Residential Service Agencies)

MarylandregulationMaryland Department of Health (Office of Health Care Quality)· effective 2012-05-01

What this rule requires your agency to do

  • 1The agency must ensure that agency staff develops and implements written policies and procedures concerning clients' rights and responsibilities. (COMAR 10.07.05.16.A)(COMAR 10.07.05.16 — Client's Rights and Responsibilities (Residential Service Agencies))
  • 2The agency must ensure clients are afforded rights to dignity, appropriate treatment, participation in the care plan, refusal of treatment, privacy, freedom from abuse, and confidentiality. (COMAR 10.07.05.16.D)(COMAR 10.07.05.16 — Client's Rights and Responsibilities (Residential Service Agencies))
  • 3The agency must allow clients to make complaints without fear of retaliation and provide access to complaint procedures. (COMAR 10.07.05.16.D)(COMAR 10.07.05.16 — Client's Rights and Responsibilities (Residential Service Agencies))
  • 4The agency must give the client a telephone number where the client or the client representative can contact the agency 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (COMAR 10.07.05.16.C)(COMAR 10.07.05.16 — Client's Rights and Responsibilities (Residential Service Agencies))
  • 5The agency must obtain informed consent by disclosing the treatment's purpose, alternatives, side effects, costs, and the client's right to withdraw. (COMAR 10.07.05.16.G)(COMAR 10.07.05.16 — Client's Rights and Responsibilities (Residential Service Agencies))
  • 6The agency (except durable medical equipment agencies) must provide clients with information about advance directives. (COMAR 10.07.05.16.E)(COMAR 10.07.05.16 — Client's Rights and Responsibilities (Residential Service Agencies))
  • 7The agency must provide clients cost estimates for requested services, clarification of the client's financial responsibility for uncovered services, and fully itemized billing statements including dates of services and unit charge. (COMAR 10.07.05.16.C)(COMAR 10.07.05.16 — Client's Rights and Responsibilities (Residential Service Agencies))
  • 8The agency must make its clients' rights and responsibilities policies accessible/available to clients or their representatives. (COMAR 10.07.05.16.B)(COMAR 10.07.05.16 — Client's Rights and Responsibilities (Residential Service Agencies))

Applies to: home care / personal care — Residential Service Agencies providing in-home care to clients in Maryland

COMAR 10.07.05.16 requires Maryland Residential Service Agencies (home care / personal care providers) to develop and implement written client rights and responsibilities policies, disclose cost and billing information, provide 24/7 contact access, and guarantee clients rights to dignity, participation in the care plan, refusal of treatment, privacy, confidentiality, freedom from abuse, and complaint procedures without retaliation.

Regulatory information, not legal advice — always confirm against the cited official source. Verification reduces error; it does not certify compliance.