Brief Description: Concerning the provision of services for nonresident individuals residing in long-term care settings.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care (originally sponsored by Senators Keiser, Deccio, Thibaudeau and Fairley).

Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care
House Committee on Health Care

Background: Supportive services, limited health care services, and wellness programs often allow residents of retirement/senior housing the ability to remain independent and in their own homes for as long as possible. A nonresident living in retirement/senior housing within a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) has ready access to support services, limited health care services, and wellness programs.

A CCRC provides different levels of care ranging from independent living to assisted living to skilled nursing care under a continuing care contract. A continuing care contract is a contract to provide a person shelter along with nursing, medical, health-related, or personal care services, which is conditioned upon payment of an entrance fee, transfer of property, or the payment of periodic charges for the care and services involved.

Currently, a nonresident residing in independent senior housing can receive very specific health services such as: assistance on an emergency basis; infrequent, voluntary, and non-scheduled blood pressure checks; nurse referral services; assistance with making health care appointments; and services customarily provided under landlord tenant agreements.

Health care assistants are unlicensed individuals who assist other licensed health care practitioners such as physicians and registered nurses, in providing health care to patients. Health care assistants can be certified by a health care facility or a health care practitioner.

Summary: Adult day services are defined as care and services provided to a nonresident individual by the boarding home on the boarding home premises, for a period of time not to exceed ten continuous hours, and does not involve an overnight stay.

Health care assistants are permitted to conduct blood drawing procedures on research study participants in the residences of the research study participants as long as they do so as part of a research study authorized by the institutional review board of a comprehensive cancer center or a nonprofit degree-granting institution of higher education. Blood drawing procedures must be conducted under the general supervision of a physician.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      47   0
House      97   0   (House amended)
Senate      45   0   (Senate concurred)

Effective: June 7, 2006