HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2533

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                         Health Care

Title:  An act relating to adult family homes.

Brief Description:  Directing a study of adult family homes.

Sponsors:  Representatives Veloria, Lisk, Quall, Lemmon, L. Johnson, Caver, Mastin, Karahalios and Van Luven.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Health Care, February 3, 1994, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 15 members:  Representatives Dellwo, Chair; L. Johnson, Vice Chair; Ballasiotes, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Appelwick; Backlund; Conway; Cooke; Flemming; R. Johnson; Lemmon; Lisk; Mastin; Morris; Thibaudeau and Veloria.

Staff:  Antonio Sanchez (786-7383).

Background:  Adult Family Homes are licensed by the state to provide residential care for up to six frail and functionally disabled persons in a homelike setting.  The residents are physically and developmentally disabled and elderly adults who require supervision or assistance with activities of daily living and/or health related services and are unable to live alone.

The Adult Family Home Program has been in operation in Washington for 25 years.  What began as a model project with a few homes in Seattle, Tacoma, and the Tri-cities, now consists of approximately 1,092 licensed Adult Family Homes statewide caring for 4,370 individuals.  Approximately 1,200 of these residents are state funded.  Of these state funded adult family home clients, approximately 65 percent are either developmentally disabled or otherwise disabled persons under 60 years of age.  The elderly comprise the remaining 35 percent of adult family home residents.

Currently, little aggregate information is available on the health and personal care needs of residents living in adult family homes.  In addition, an updated comparison of reimbursement rate data for care similar to that provided in nursing homes is lacking.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The Legislative Budget Committee is required to conduct a survey of adult family homes and report on the following by September 6, 1995:

1)The type of care setting or residential setting the residents were in prior to living in an adult family home.

2)Information on the physical health, mental health, and functional status of residents.

3)Average length of stay in an adult family home.

4)Comparison data on Washington's reimbursement rates for adult family homes with other adult family home rates around the country. 

5)A comparison of the reimbursement rates of adult family homes with other types of similar long-term care in Washington state.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The substitute bill clarifies that only aggregate information on physical health, mental health, and functional status of adult family homes will be gathered.  In addition, the date for the completion of the study is extended to September 6, 1995.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Additional information is needed to assess the amount of time and resources needed to attend to the needs of adult family home residents.  This information will help adult family home owners and operators better plan for their residents.

Testimony Against:  None

Witnesses:  Mark Stroh, Washington Protection and Advocacy System (pro); Norita Sorenson (pro); Alicia Cortes (pro); An McBride, Coalition of Adult Family Homes (pro); and Jeff Larsen, Adult Licensed Family Homes of Washington (pro).