Purpose
Home Family Care, Inc. Is Committed To Providing Safe, Compassionate, Respectful, High-Quality Home Care Services While Conducting All Business Activities Ethically, Honestly, Lawfully, And With Integrity.
This Code Of Ethics & Standards Of Conduct Establishes The Fundamental Principles And Expectations That Guide The Actions Of Our Owners, Officers, Directors, Managers, Employees, Clinicians, Caregivers, Contractors, Volunteers, And Other Individuals Acting On Behalf Of Home Family Care.
Every Member Of Our Organization Is Responsible For Understanding And Following This Code, Applicable Federal And State Laws And Regulations, Professional Standards, Payer Requirements, Contractual Obligations, And Home Family Care Policies And Procedures.
This Code Is An Essential Component Of Home Family Care’s Corporate Compliance Program And Is Intended To Promote A Culture In Which Ethical Conduct, Patient Safety, Quality Care, Accountability, And Open Communication Are Expected And Supported.
1. Patient-Centered Care
Home Family Care places the patient at the center of everything we do.
We are committed to:
- Treating every patient with dignity, courtesy, compassion, and respect.
- Respecting each patient’s rights, preferences, values, culture, beliefs, privacy, and individuality.
- Providing care in a manner that promotes independence, safety, comfort, and quality of life.
- Communicating with patients and families in a clear, respectful, and understandable manner.
- Listening to patient and family concerns and responding promptly and appropriately.
- Supporting patient participation in care planning and decision-making to the extent permitted by law and the patient’s condition.
- Providing services without discrimination or improper bias.
- Respecting the patient’s right to voice concerns, dissatisfaction, complaints, or grievances without fear of retaliation.
- Protecting the patient’s right to receive appropriate information regarding their care and services.
- Never abandoning or neglecting a patient who is receiving services from Home Family Care.
Every employee and representative is expected to remember that our patients and their families place significant trust in us. That trust must be honored through professional, compassionate, and reliable service.
2. Regulatory Compliance
Home Family Care is committed to complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing home care and health care services.
Employees and representatives must:
- Follow applicable laws, regulations, licensing requirements, accreditation standards, payer requirements, and contractual obligations.
- Follow Home Family Care policies and procedures.
- Maintain all required licenses, certifications, registrations, and credentials applicable to their positions.
- Complete required training and education.
- Cooperate honestly with regulatory agencies, auditors, inspectors, investigators, and authorized representatives.
- Never knowingly make false, misleading, incomplete, or fraudulent statements to a government agency, payer, patient, family member, employee, or other authorized party.
- Promptly report suspected violations of laws, regulations, policies, or contractual requirements.
- Participate in compliance monitoring, auditing, education, and corrective-action activities as required.
No employee may justify noncompliance by claiming that “everyone does it,” that a supervisor requested it, or that it benefits the company.
When there is uncertainty about a legal, regulatory, or compliance requirement, employees are expected to seek guidance before proceeding.
3. Privacy, Security & HIPAA
Home Family Care is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, security, and integrity of patient information.
Where HIPAA applies, employees must comply with the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules and all applicable Home Family Care privacy and security policies.
Employees must:
- Access patient information only when authorized and when access is necessary to perform assigned duties.
- Use and disclose Protected Health Information (“PHI”) only as permitted by law, policy, or appropriate authorization.
- Limit access, use, and disclosure of PHI to the minimum necessary when the minimum-necessary standard applies.
- Safeguard paper records, electronic records, mobile devices, computers, passwords, and other information systems.
- Never share passwords or personal login credentials.
- Never access a patient record out of curiosity or for personal reasons.
- Never discuss patient information in public areas or with individuals who are not authorized to receive it.
- Use appropriate safeguards when transporting, storing, transmitting, or disposing of patient information.
- Immediately report suspected privacy violations, lost or stolen devices, unauthorized access, misdirected communications, cybersecurity incidents, or potential breaches.
- Follow Home Family Care policies concerning electronic communications, texting, email, social media, photographs, and mobile devices.
Employees should assume that patient information is confidential unless they have a legitimate, authorized reason to access or disclose it.
4. Ethical Business Conduct & Referral Compliance
Home Family Care conducts business honestly, fairly, and transparently.
Employees and representatives must not engage in conduct intended to improperly influence referrals, payments, patient selection, or business decisions.
Prohibited conduct includes, but is not limited to:
- Offering, providing, requesting, or accepting inappropriate payments, gifts, incentives, or benefits in exchange for patient referrals or business.
- Engaging in fraudulent or deceptive marketing practices.
- Misrepresenting Home Family Care’s services, qualifications, credentials, or capabilities.
- Providing false or misleading information to patients, families, referral sources, payers, or government agencies.
- Making improper arrangements with referral sources.
- Offering benefits or inducements that are prohibited by applicable law.
- Steering patients inappropriately for personal or financial gain.
- Accepting referrals that are inconsistent with applicable eligibility, authorization, or payer requirements.
- Engaging in conduct that may violate federal or state fraud and abuse laws.
All referral relationships must be handled in a manner consistent with applicable law and Home Family Care policy.
Employees who have questions about gifts, referral arrangements, marketing activities, financial relationships, or other business practices should consult the Compliance Officer before proceeding.
5. Conflicts of Interest
Employees and representatives must act in the best interests of Home Family Care and its patients and must avoid situations in which personal interests improperly influence professional responsibilities.
A conflict of interest may arise when an employee’s personal, financial, family, or outside business interests could interfere—or appear to interfere—with objective decision-making.
Employees must:
- Disclose actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest.
- Avoid using their position for personal financial benefit.
- Avoid using confidential company or patient information for personal benefit.
- Disclose relevant financial interests or relationships as required by Home Family Care policy.
- Not participate in business decisions where a personal conflict could improperly influence judgment unless the conflict has been appropriately reviewed and managed.
Not every conflict is prohibited; however, failure to disclose a potential conflict may itself create a compliance concern.
6. Workplace Standards & Professional Conduct
Home Family Care is committed to maintaining a professional, respectful, inclusive, and safe workplace.
All employees and representatives are expected to:
- Treat patients, families, coworkers, supervisors, referral sources, and members of the public with respect.
- Communicate professionally and courteously.
- Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
- Perform assigned duties competently and responsibly.
- Maintain required credentials and qualifications.
- Report to work as scheduled and be dependable in fulfilling assigned responsibilities.
- Follow applicable workplace safety requirements.
- Protect company property, equipment, records, and resources.
- Avoid harassment, discrimination, intimidation, bullying, threats, violence, or other inappropriate conduct.
- Maintain professional appearance and behavior consistent with the employee’s role.
- Never work while impaired by alcohol, illegal drugs, or any substance that could impair the employee’s ability to safely perform assigned duties.
- Follow Home Family Care policies concerning social media, communications, technology, and professional boundaries.
Employees are expected to raise workplace concerns through appropriate channels rather than engaging in retaliation, harassment, intimidation, or disruptive conduct.
7. Patient Safety & Clinical Quality
Patient safety is a fundamental responsibility of every Home Family Care employee and representative.
We are committed to providing care that is safe, appropriate, timely, respectful, and consistent with the patient’s care plan and applicable professional standards.
Employees must:
- Follow the patient’s authorized plan of care and applicable clinical instructions.
- Work only within the scope of their training, competency, license, certification, and assigned responsibilities.
- Promptly communicate changes in a patient’s condition to the appropriate supervisor or clinician.
- Report accidents, injuries, falls, medication concerns, adverse events, incidents, and other safety concerns promptly.
- Follow infection prevention and control requirements.
- Use appropriate safety precautions.
- Protect patients from foreseeable risks and hazards.
- Participate in quality improvement and patient safety activities.
- Never conceal, alter, or falsify information concerning a patient safety event.
- Cooperate with investigations of adverse events and quality concerns.
Employees are encouraged to report near misses as well as actual incidents because identifying risks early can help prevent patient harm.
8. Abuse, Neglect & Mandatory Reporting
Home Family Care maintains zero tolerance for abuse, neglect, exploitation, mistreatment, or intentional harm to patients.
Employees must remain alert to signs and symptoms of:
- Physical abuse.
- Emotional or psychological abuse.
- Sexual abuse.
- Financial exploitation.
- Neglect or abandonment.
- Improper use of restraints.
- Inappropriate medication practices.
- Caregiver misconduct.
- Other forms of mistreatment or exploitation.
Any employee who suspects that a patient may be experiencing abuse, neglect, exploitation, or other reportable harm must immediately follow Home Family Care’s reporting procedures and applicable mandatory-reporting requirements.
Employees must never:
- Ignore suspected abuse or neglect.
- Attempt to conceal suspected abuse or neglect.
- Interfere with a legitimate investigation.
- Retaliate against a person who reports suspected abuse or neglect.
When required by law, reports will be made to the appropriate governmental, regulatory, protective services, law enforcement, or other authorized agency.
9. Documentation & Billing Integrity
Home Family Care is committed to maintaining accurate, complete, timely, and truthful records.
All documentation must accurately reflect the services provided and the circumstances surrounding those services.
Employees must:
- Document services accurately and promptly.
- Record information based on actual observations and services performed.
- Never falsify, fabricate, backdate, alter, or improperly delete records.
- Never document services that were not provided.
- Never sign or authenticate documentation on behalf of another person without appropriate authorization.
- Accurately record time worked and services provided.
- Submit accurate information for billing and reimbursement.
- Report suspected overpayments, duplicate billing, incorrect billing, or other billing irregularities promptly.
- Preserve records as required by law and Home Family Care policy.
- Cooperate with audits and investigations.
Examples of prohibited conduct include knowingly billing for services not provided, misrepresenting the identity of the person who provided services, falsifying visit times, altering records to support payment, or submitting information known to be false or misleading.
Questions concerning billing, documentation, coding, authorization, or reimbursement should be directed to the appropriate supervisor, billing department, or Compliance Officer.
10. Reporting Concerns
Home Family Care encourages employees, patients, family members, caregivers, contractors, and other individuals to raise concerns promptly.
Concerns may include, but are not limited to:
- Suspected fraud, waste, or abuse.
- Patient abuse or neglect.
- Privacy or HIPAA violations.
- Patient safety concerns.
- Falsification of records.
- Improper billing or documentation.
- Conflicts of interest.
- Improper referral arrangements.
- Regulatory violations.
- Unethical business practices.
- Workplace misconduct.
- Retaliation.
- Any other conduct that may violate this Code, Home Family Care policy, or applicable law.
Reports may be made to a supervisor, manager, Human Resources, the Compliance Officer/Chief Compliance Officer, or through the Home Family Care compliance reporting hotline.
Reports should be made as soon as reasonably possible so that concerns can be appropriately evaluated and addressed.
No individual is required to report a concern through their immediate supervisor if they are uncomfortable doing so or believe the supervisor may be involved in the concern.
11. Non-Retaliation Policy
Home Family Care prohibits retaliation against any individual who, in good faith:
- Reports a suspected compliance violation.
- Reports suspected fraud, waste, or abuse.
- Raises a patient safety concern.
- Reports suspected abuse or neglect.
- Reports a privacy or security concern.
- Participates in an investigation, audit, or compliance review.
- Seeks guidance concerning a potential compliance issue.
- Cooperates with a governmental or regulatory investigation.
Retaliation may include termination, demotion, harassment, intimidation, threats, reduction of hours, unfavorable treatment, or any other adverse action taken because an individual made a good-faith report or participated in a protected compliance activity.
Anyone who believes they have experienced retaliation should report the concern immediately to the Compliance Officer/Chief Compliance Officer or through the compliance hotline.
Good-faith reporting does not require that the person making the report be certain that a violation occurred. Employees should report concerns based on reasonable observations or information and should not knowingly make false or malicious reports.
12. Compliance Officer
Home Family Care designates a Compliance Officer/Chief Compliance Officer to oversee and coordinate the Corporate Compliance Program.
The Compliance Officer is responsible for duties that may include:
- Overseeing implementation and maintenance of the Corporate Compliance Program.
- Promoting a culture of ethical conduct and compliance.
- Receiving and coordinating the review of compliance concerns.
- Coordinating compliance education and training.
- Monitoring and auditing compliance activities.
- Assisting with risk assessments.
- Coordinating investigations of suspected violations.
- Recommending corrective and preventive actions.
- Maintaining appropriate compliance records.
- Communicating significant compliance issues to appropriate leadership.
- Supporting the organization’s efforts to prevent, detect, and correct compliance violations.
The Compliance Officer will have appropriate access to information and organizational leadership necessary to perform these responsibilities effectively.
Chief Compliance Officer: Tural Abbasov
Contact Information: 718-975-8998 (108) tabbasov@hfcny.com
13. Enforcement & Accountability
Compliance with this Code is a condition of working for or representing Home Family Care.
Violations may result in appropriate corrective or disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or contractual relationships, consistent with applicable law and company policy.
Depending on the nature and circumstances of the conduct, Home Family Care may also:
- Conduct an internal investigation.
- Implement corrective action.
- Require additional education or training.
- Conduct monitoring or auditing.
- Recover improper payments when appropriate.
- Report matters to governmental or regulatory authorities when required or appropriate.
- Take other actions necessary to protect patients, the organization, and the integrity of the Corporate Compliance Program.
Disciplinary action will be administered fairly and consistently based on the circumstances of each matter.
Employees are expected to cooperate fully and honestly with compliance investigations and audits.
14. Closing Statement
At Home Family Care, Inc., ethics is not simply a policy. It is the foundation of how we serve patients, support families, work with one another, and build trust in every community we serve.
At Home Family Care, we are committed to the highest standards of ethics, compliance, and integrity. We recognize that maintaining this standard requires everyone—including employees, caregivers, clinicians, managers, leadership, patients, and families—to speak up when something does not appear right.
For this reason, Home Family Care provides a safe and confidential environment for patients, family members, employees, caregivers, contractors, and other individuals to voice dissatisfaction, ask questions, or report concerns.
If you suspect potential fraud, waste, abuse, patient safety concerns, privacy violations, improper billing, or any other regulatory compliance issue regarding the care or services provided by Home Family Care, please report the concern directly to our Chief Compliance Officer or through our compliance reporting channels.
To facilitate reporting, Home Family Care maintains dedicated compliance hotline numbers intended to provide an option for anonymous reporting:
Main Office Compliance Hotline:
718-689-3726
Queens Branch Compliance Hotline:
718-205-5181
These reporting channels are available to anyone wishing to share information without fear of retaliation. Home Family Care will take appropriate steps to protect confidentiality to the extent permitted by law and will prohibit retaliation against individuals who make good-faith compliance reports.
Doing the right thing is everyone’s responsibility.