Support Services
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QHC
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Policy No: 2.3.6
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Title:
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Accessibility – Support Services
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Original Issue Date: January 21, 2010
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Manual:
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Administration
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Department:
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Corporate
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Review / Revision Date(s): 01/21/2010
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Issued By:
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Approved By:
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SAC
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1. Policy
Quinte Health Care (QHC) is committed to being responsive to the diverse needs of all its residents by striving to provide equal access to its programs, services and facilities, including people with disabilities. QHC recognizes that persons with disabilities may require the accompaniment of a support person when accessing the services of the hospital or visiting a patient in hospital. QHC will ensure that reasonable efforts are made so that people with disabilities are not prevented from having access to their support person while on hospital premises.Definition
Support Person: A person who accompanies a person with a disability in order to assist him or her with communication, mobility, personal care or with access to goods or services.
2. Purpose
In fulfilling its mission, QHC strives to provide quality care and meet the needs of those they serve. QHC respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. QHC is committed to providing people with disabilities who attend the hospital as a visitor, patient, staff or volunteer the same access to care as those with no disabilities. A component of this effort is to comply with the legislative requirements prescribed under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and to promote accessibility.QHC is also committed to giving people with disabilities the same opportunity to access our programs and services and allowing them to benefit from the same services, in the same place and in a similar way as other individuals.
3. Procedure
If a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person, they are permitted to enter the premises together and are not prevented from having access to each other while on the premises within the areas of the hospital that are open to the public.
Special accommodations will be made to consider the accompaniment of a support person in areas otherwise restricted, such as the operating room.
Support persons are not considered "visitors” and shall be entitled to terms under this policy.
Where issues of confidentiality are concerned, guidance will be given to the support person and additional requirements may be necessary, such as signing a confidentiality agreement.
FEEDBACK PROCESS
The public can provide feedback on the accessibility of the services at QHC by contacting the Coordinator of Risk and Patient Concerns at 613-969-7400 ext. 2033.
(a) by mail addressed to:
Coordinator of Risk and Patient Concerns
265 Dundas Street E
Belleville, ON, K8N 5A9
(b) by phone to: 613-969-7400 ext. 2033.
(c) in person at: BG site
Feedback will be responded to within three business days of its receipt by the hospital.
Appendices and References
References
Health Care Consent Act, 2006
Reference: Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act, 2005, AODA
