(a) Written policy.
  (1) An agency must adopt and enforce a written policy relating to the agency's procedures for investigating complaints and reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
  (2) The policy must meet the requirements of this section.
(b) Reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation (ANE).
  (1) Immediately upon witnessing the act or upon receipt of the allegation, an agency must initiate an investigation of known and alleged acts of ANE by agency employees, including volunteers and contractors.
  (2) An agency must complete an HHSC Provider Investigation Report form and include the following information:
    (A) incident date;
    (B) the name of the alleged victim;
    (C) the age of the alleged victim at the time of the incident;
    (D) the name of the alleged perpetrator;
    (E) any witnesses;
    (F) the allegation;
    (G) any injury or adverse effect;
    (H) any assessments made;
    (I) any treatment required;
    (J) the investigation summary; and
    (K) any action taken.
  (3) An agency must send the completed HHSC Provider Investigation Report form to HHSC Complaint Intake Unit no later than the 10th day after reporting the act to the Department of Family and Protective Services and HHSC.
(c) Agency complaint investigations.
  (1) An agency must investigate complaints made by a client, a client's family or guardian, or a client's health care provider, in accordance with this subsection, regarding:
    (A) treatment or care that was furnished by the agency;
    (B) treatment or care that the agency failed to furnish; or
    (C) a lack of respect for the client's property by anyone furnishing services on behalf of the agency.
  (2) An agency must:
    (A) document receipt of the complaint and initiate a complaint investigation within 10 days after the agency's receipt of the complaint; and
    (B) document all components of the investigation.
(d) Completing agency investigations. An agency must complete the investigation and documentation within 30 days after the agency receives a complaint or report of abuse, neglect, and exploitation, unless the agency has and documents reasonable cause for a delay.
(e) Retaliation.
  (1) An agency may not retaliate against a person for filing a complaint, presenting a grievance, or providing, in good faith, information relating to home health, hospice, or personal assistance services provided by the agency.
  (2) An agency is not prohibited from terminating an employee for a reason other than retaliation.

Source Note: The provisions of this §558.250 adopted to be effective February 1, 2002, 26 TexReg 9159; amended to be effective June 1, 2006, 31 TexReg 1455; amended to be effective January 15, 2009, 34 TexReg 254; transferred effective May 1, 2019, as published in the April 12, 2019, issue of the Texas Register, 44 TexReg 1893; amended to be effective April 25, 2021, 46 TexReg 2427