Subchapter II. Commitment, Custody, Maintenance and Discharge of Patients
TITLE 16
Health and Safety
Mental Health
CHAPTER 53. GOVERNOR BACON HEALTH CENTER
Subchapter II. Commitment, Custody, Maintenance and Discharge of Patients
§ 5321. Admission to Center.
No person shall be admitted to any department of the Center except as provided in § 5323 of this title or except as follows:
(1) Children between the ages of 3 and 18 years who are either seriously maladjusted or mentally ill and who are amenable to modern care and treatment shall be admitted to the Center upon the application of the parents or the surviving parent or legal guardian of any such child or any institution or agency having the care and custody of any such child or by the commitment of any court of this State having jurisdiction over such children;
(2) Handicapped or crippled children, including spastics, cardiacs and those afflicted with infantile paralysis, shall be admitted to the Center upon the application of the parents or the surviving parent or legal guardian of such children and in the event that both parents of such children are deceased and no legal guardian has been appointed, upon the application of any physician, institution or agency treating or having the care or custody of such children;
(3) No child shall be admitted to the detention department of the Center unless a court having jurisdiction over dependent, neglected, delinquent or maladjusted children commits any such child for the sole purpose of social, psychological and psychiatric study and examination;
(4) A child awaiting assignment to a foster home shall only be admitted upon the application of any public or private agency having the authority or function to place such children in such homes;
(5) No person suffering from alcoholism or being a drug addict without psychosis, either acute or chronic, shall be admitted to the Center except upon the person's own application or the application of the person's parents, or the surviving parent or legal guardian or in the event of none such, upon the application of any physician or institution treating or having the care or custody of any such person or by the commitment of any court of this State having jurisdiction over any such person;
(6) No person who is an epileptic without psychosis shall be admitted to the Center except upon the person's own application or upon the application of the person's parents or the surviving parent or legal guardian or in the event of none such, upon the application of any physician or institution treating or having the care or custody of any such person;
(7) No aged person who is bedridden and without frank psychosis and needing nursing care only shall be admitted to the Center except upon the person's own application or the application of the person or persons responsible for the person's support and maintenance or upon the application of any institution whether public or private having the care and custody of any such person;
(8) Handicapped or crippled adults, including spastics and those afflicted with infantile paralysis, shall be admitted to the Center upon their own application or upon the application of any practicing physician in good standing, for the purpose of observation, study and treatment;
(9) In all other cases, no person shall be admitted to the Center except in accordance and in compliance with the rules and regulations which are adopted by the Department of Health and Social Services or Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families governing the admissions to their respective sections within the Center.
Code 1935, § 3100G; 46 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 2; 16 Del. C. 1953, § 5321; 47 Del. Laws, c. 67, § 1; 64 Del. Laws, c. 108, § 29; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 5322. Admission procedures; rules and regulations.
(a) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section and § 5321 of this title, no person shall be eligible for admission to the Center, except by commitment of a court having authority to commit any person to the Center, unless and until such person is determined to be eligible for admission by the Department of Health and Social Services or the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families.
(b) The Department of Health and Social Services and Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families may make and adopt reasonable rules and regulations governing the admission of persons to their respective programs at the Center which are not inconsistent with this chapter.
(c) The Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families may also refuse the admission of any person to their respective programs at the Center, except such persons committed by a court having authority under law to make such commitment, when the Department to which any such person should be assigned is unable for any reason to accommodate any such person.
Code 1935, § 3100G; 46 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 2; 16 Del. C. 1953, § 5322; 64 Del. Laws, c. 108, § 30.;
§ 5323. Veterans' preference.
The Department of Health and Social Services shall give veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam era who are eligible for admission to the Health Center a preference over other persons with respect to admission thereto.
Code 1935, § 3100N; 46 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 2; 16 Del. C. 1953, § 5323; 66 Del. Laws, c. 139, § 1.;
§ 5324. Transfer to Center from other state institutions.
(a) Any institution of this State may transfer any person who is an inmate of any such institution to the Center if such person is eligible for transfer in accordance with this chapter. Any such transfer shall be subject to the rules and regulations governing the Center as made and adopted by the Department of Health and Social Services or Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. If any such inmate has been committed to any institution by a court of this State, such institution shall apply to such court for authority to transfer any such person to the Center.
(b) No state institution shall be charged by the Center for the care or maintenance of any person who has been or may be transferred to the Center.
(c) The Center, upon application of the Superintendent of the Stockley Center, under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health and Social Services, shall also receive all epileptic and bedridden persons committed to the Stockley Center.
Code 1935, § 3100H; 46 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 2; 47 Del. Laws, c. 70, § 1; 47 Del. Laws, c. 176, § 1; 16 Del. C. 1953, § 5324; 64 Del. Laws, c. 108, § 31; 73 Del. Laws, c. 97, § 1.;
§ 5325. Liability for maintenance of patient; collection remedies; indigent persons.
(a) Any patient or person committed or admitted to the Center shall at all times be liable for the care, maintenance and support furnished to and received by any such person while a patient of the Center. Nothing in this section shall relieve from liability for the support of any such patient any person liable under any law of this State.
(b) The Department of Health and Social Services may collect from any such patient or out of the property, moneys and effects of any such person all moneys necessary to discharge and pay all liability of such patient for the patient's care, maintenance and support.
(c) The Department of Health and Social Services may also proceed for the recovery of the moneys necessary for care, maintenance and support in an action to be brought in any court of competent jurisdiction in the name of the Department, for the use of the Governor Bacon Health Center.
(d) The expenses of the care, treatment and maintenance of any indigent person admitted to the emergency hospital facilities of the Center shall be paid by the State Treasurer.
Code 1935, § 3100I; 46 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 2; 46 Del. Laws, c. 311, § 1; 16 Del. C. 1953, § 5325; 57 Del. Laws, c. 228, § 8; 58 Del. Laws, c. 153; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 5326. Resident and nonresident pay patient; contracts.
(a) The Department of Health and Social Services may receive any person from any other state who is able to pay for the person's care, maintenance and support and who is otherwise eligible for admission to the Center under this chapter and in accordance with the rules and regulations governing admissions to the Center.
(b) The Department may also receive into the Center any person eligible for admission thereto who is a resident of this State and who is able to pay for the person's care, maintenance and support.
(c) The Department may make contracts in relation to the care, maintenance and support and may recover from the person with whom it contracts or from the person admitted the compensation agreed upon, or, in case no certain compensation was agreed upon, then it may recover a reasonable compensation in an action to be brought in the name of the Department for the use of the Governor Bacon Health Center.
Code 1935, § 3100J; 46 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 2; 46 Del. Laws, c. 311, § 1; 16 Del. C. 1953, § 5326; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 5327. Release and discharge of patients.
The Department of Health and Social Services and Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families may make and adopt rules and regulations in respect to the release, whether temporary or permanent, of patients in their respective programs at the Center, except that any person committed to the Center by a court of this State shall not be released from the Center except upon an order from such court. When a person committed by any such court is eligible for release, the Department of Health and Social Services or the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families may petition such court for the release of any such patient.
Code 1935, § 3100K; 46 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 2; 16 Del. C. 1953, § 5327; 64 Del. Laws, c. 108, § 32.;