Z-519                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 3177

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senators Granlund, Kiskaddon, Stratton, Kreidler, Peterson, Lee and Goltz; by Department of Social and Health Services request

Read first time 1/21/85 and referred to Committee on Human Services and Corrections.

AN ACT Relating to respite care services; amending section 3, chapter 158, Laws of 1984 (uncodified); amending section 5, chapter 158, Laws of 1984 (uncodified); and amending section 7, chapter 158, Laws of 1984 (uncodified).

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.   Section 3, chapter 158, Laws of 1984 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:

          Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout sections 1 through 7 of this act.

          (1) "Respite care services" means relief care for families or other caregivers of disabled adults, not exceeding five hundred seventy-six hours ((in not more than twenty-four days)) in any twelve-month period for each household.  The services provide temporary care or supervision of disabled adults in substitution for the caregiver.  The term includes social day care.

          (2) "Eligible participant" means an adult (a) who needs substantially continuous care or supervision by reason of his or her functional disability, and (b) who is assessed as requiring institutionalization in the absence of a caregiver assisted by home and community support services, including respite care.

          (3) "Caregiver" means a spouse, relative, or friend who has primary responsibility for the care of a functionally disabled adult, who does not receive financial compensation for the care, and who is assessed as being at risk of placing the eligible participant in a long-term care facility if respite care is not available.

          (4) "Institutionalization" means placement in a long-term care facility.

          (5) "Social day care" means nonmedical services to persons who live with their families, cannot be left unsupervised, and are at risk of being placed in a twenty-four-hour care facility if their families do not receive some relief from constant care.

          (6) "Department" means the department of social and health services.

        Sec. 2.   Section 5, chapter 158, Laws of 1984 (uncodified)  is amended to read as follows:

          The department shall ((select at least two but not more than three area agencies on aging to conduct one-year respite care demonstration projects ending June 30, 1985)) continue the three respite care demonstration projects created under section 5, chapter 158, Laws of 1984, until July 1, 1987.  One of the selected area agencies on aging shall be east of the crest of the Cascade range and one shall be west of the crest of the Cascade range.  The area agencies on aging will be responsible for negotiating rates of payment and developing sliding-fee scales to enable eligible participants and caregivers to participate in paying for respite care.  Rates of payment to respite care service providers shall not exceed, and may be less than, rates paid by the department ((to the same providers for other than respite care)) for a similar level of service in programs other than respite care.

        Sec. 3.   Section 7, chapter 158, Laws of 1984 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:

          (1) The area agencies administering respite care demonstration projects shall:

          (a) Maintain data which indicates demand for respite care, and which includes information on in-home and out-of-home day care and in-home and out-of-home overnight care demand; and

          (b) Make a comparison of the relative cost-effectiveness of the several types of respite care with all other programs and services which are intended to forestall institutionalization.

          (2) The department shall conduct a survey of all public assistance patients accepted by long-term care facilities in each participating planning and service area to determine the extent to which each of them availed themselves of services designed to defer institutionalization.

          (3) ((The department shall provide a progress report to the legislature on the respite care demonstration projects authorized in this  act, not later than January 1, 1985.))  The department shall report the results of the data collection, cost comparison, and survey for the initial one-year demonstration projects as required in this section to the legislature not later than thirty days prior to the 1986 legislative session and for the 1985-1987 biennial demonstration projects to the legislature not later than September 1, 1986.