Working with patients along the continuum of care is increasingly common. When your patients cannot care for themselves and need help managing their finances or other personal needs after discharge, the Conservatorship Access Network (CAN) offers comprehensive probate conservatorship evaluation at your facility. 

The concept of the continuum of care has become more important than ever before. Market-driven reform, managed care and case management issues challenge health care providers daily as they move patients along the continuum.

What process does your hospital currently use for establishing probate conservatorship for patients requiring representation? What challenges do you face when discharging patients in need of protection from undue influences or abuse? The Conservatorship Access Network (CAN), a partnership with the Los Angeles County Office of Public Guardian, provides assistance for your patients who are no longer able to handle their own financial or personal affairs.

Program Benefits

• Expedited scheduling for probate conservatorship evaluations and appointments.
• Get a conservator for capitated patients who need assistance with medical consent, estate safeguarding or personal decisions.
• Expedited service, protection, and overall comprehensive, ongoing and caring support.
• Reduces evaluation processing time by 70 percent.
• Reduces potential revenue losses for facilities experiencing delays in probate conservatorship evaluations and appointments.
• Reduces administrative days, nursing hours and case management / social work time.
• Facilitates patient transfers.

How It Works

1. A facility or group contracts with HASC for the investigative services of a Los Angeles County Deputy Public Conservator (DPC) dedicated exclusively to CAN participants.
2. Using the assessment and referral guidelines stipulated in the contract, the facility identifies potential CAN eligibles and refers them to the DPC.
3. Within three working days, the DPC responds to the referral; by the eighth work day, the DPC determines if a conservator is needed. By the 11th work day, identified patients are recommended for permanent conservatorship, if appropriate. A recommendation for temporary conservatorship also may be made. (If the latter, five additional calendar days are mandated by the court as a noticing requirement for the conservatee’s family.)

Safeguarding your CAN participants where temporary conservatorship has been granted can be addressed in an average of 25 working days. A non-CAN participant with no family or friends will wait more than 65 workdays to be evaluated for conservatorship.

Program Costs

• $997 per patient referral to the Office of Public Guardian
• $379 quarterly management fee to HASC (discount of 25 percent or more available for participation of multiple facilities or groups in a system) invoiced in advance and due within 30 days

For more information about using CAN to help your most vulnerable patients, contact Ana Reza.