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Section B — Supplemental Documents ~90 min

Complaint, Incident Reporting & Emergency Procedures (California Home Care)

This step is optional. It is not part of the CDSS application. But one part is the law: you must report suspected abuse (HSC §1796.42(e)).

Not part of the CDSS application. HCS 281 Section B lists only B1 to B6. These plans are good practice.

The reporting rule that IS the law

HSC §1796.42(e) says an HCO licensee must:

  • Report suspected or known elder or dependent adult abuse under W&I Code §15630.
  • Report suspected or known child abuse under Penal Code §§11164–11174.3.
  • Keep a copy of each report. CDSS may review it during business hours.
How to report elder or dependent adult abuse (W&I §15630):
  • Report right away, or as soon as you can, by phone or the confidential online tool.
  • If you call, send a written report within 2 working days.
  • For abuse outside a care facility, report to county Adult Protective Services or local law enforcement.

Your personnel policies must also explain this (HCS 281 B3).

Other good plans to have

Complaints: How clients and families can complain. Who answers. How fast you respond. People can also call the CDSS Complaint Hotline at 1-844-538-8766. Incidents: What staff do after a fall, injury, or other event. Who they tell. How you write it down. Emergencies: What to do in a fire, quake, power outage, or when a caregiver cannot come. When an aide leaves: Tell CDSS right away (HSC §1796.43(a)(3)).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • 1Leaving out the abuse reporting steps the law requires (HSC §1796.42(e)).
  • 2Vague emergency procedures that staff cannot follow
  • 3Missing timelines for complaint response

Tips

  • Keep a copy of each abuse report. CDSS may ask to see it.
  • Train all staff on these procedures before they begin client contact
  • Keep incident and complaint logs for audit purposes

What You Need to Do

  1. 1
    Draft complaint handling procedures
  2. 2
    Draft incident procedures, including abuse reporting under HSC §1796.42(e)
  3. 3
    Draft emergency response procedures
  4. 4
    Upload complaints, incidents, and emergency procedures document

Information You Will Need

Have these details ready before you sit down to fill this out:

Complaint Handling Procedure
Incident Reporting Procedure
Emergency Preparedness Plan

Documents Needed

  • Complaints, Incidents, and Emergency Procedures Document
    PDF, DOCX · Max 10MB

Official Resources

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John Helmy

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John Helmy, Founder of HomeCareAtlas

Building tools and resources to help home care agency owners navigate licensing, compliance, and growth.