South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 61 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
Subchapter 61-13 - Standards for Licensing Habilitation Centers for Persons with Intellectual Disability or Persons with Related Conditions
Sec2 61-13.700 - REPORTING
Section 61-13.700.701 - Accidents and/or Incidents
Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 9, September 27, 2024
A. A facility shall maintain a record of each accident and/or incident, including usage of mechanical or physical restraints, involving clients, staff members or volunteers, occurring in the facility or on the facility grounds. A facility's record of each accident and/or incident shall be documented, reviewed, investigated, and if necessary, evaluated in accordance with facility policies and procedures, and retained by the facility for six (6) years after the client's death, discharge, or transfer.
B. Accidents and/or incidents occurring to clients within the facility or on the facility grounds requiring reporting to the Department include, but are not limited to,:
C. A facility shall immediately report every serious accident and/or incident that results in client's death or significant loss of function or damage to a body structure, not related to the natural course of a client's illness or underlying condition or normal course of treatment, and resulting from an accident and/or incident occurring to client within the facility or on the facility's grounds to the client's next-of-kin or responsible party, the attending physician, and the Department via telephone, email, or facsimile within twenty-four (24) hours of the serious accident and/or incident.
D. A facility shall submit a written report of its investigation of every serious accident and/or incident to the Department within five (5) days of the serious accident and/or incident. A facility's written report to the Department shall provide at a minimum:
E. A facility shall retain a report of every serious accident and/or incident with all of the information provided to the Department and the names, injuries, and treatments associated with each client, staff and/or visitor involved. A facility shall retain all serious accident and/or incident records for six (6) years after the client's death, discharge, or transfer.
F. The Administrator or his or her designee shall report every incident involving a client that leaves the premises for more than twenty-four (24) hours without notice to staff members of intent to leave to local law enforcement, the client's responsible party, and the Department. The Administrator or his or her designee shall immediately notify local law enforcement and the responsible party by telephone when a cognitively impaired client leaves the premises for any amount of time without notice to staff members.
G. The Administrator or his or her designee shall report changes in a client's condition, to the extent that serious health concerns and/or injuries, for example, fracture, behavioral changes or heart attack, are evident, to the attending physician and the responsible party immediately, not to exceed twenty-four (24) hours, consistent with the severity or urgency of the condition in accordance with facility policies and procedures. (I)
H. The Administrator or his or her designee shall report abuse and suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of clients to the Vulnerable Adults Unit of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) in accordance with S.C. Code Section 43-35-25.
