Long-term care: assessment and planning.

Existing law provides for the licensure of various health facilities, including general acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and intermediate care facilities, and congregate living health facilities by the State Department of Public Health. Certain of these facilities are included under the category of long-term health care facilities, as defined. A violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law requires each hospital to have in effect a written discharge planning policy and process that requires appropriate arrangements for posthospital care and a process that requires that each patient be informed, orally or in writing, of the continuing care requirements following…