Action | Alzheimer's Assisted Living Waiver Update |
Stage | Proposed |
Comment Period | Ended on 1/7/2011 |
9 comments
After reviewing the proposed changes, we are very pleased. These changes will eliminate an additional burden to providers of services to AAL recipients, while not affecting the overall quality of care to the recipients. These changes mirror the current services and standards for the assisted living and alzheimers private pay residents. The true benefit of the changes will come to the elderly seniors of the Commonwealth of Virginia by encouraging more providers of assisted living services to participate in DMAS AAL waiver program.
This is great and great to see changes that are more user freindly
I run a 98 bed facility in extreme Southwest Virginia .I accept auxiliary grant.The auxiliary grant rate is currently $37.00 per day.With recent budget cuts ,a medicaid supported program that paid an additional $3.00 per day was elliminated .
The rate had been $3.00 per day since it's existence in 1996.Southwest Virginia is known to have a large amount of auxiliary grant residents.A lot of providers do not except the below market rate and choose to select to serve the private pay.Most auxiliary grants are more work intensive than the private pay as well.Documented studies by J.L.A.R.C.and Area on Aging ,from June 2005.supports the more work intensive A.G.homes,they refer to them as ,special circumstances,refering to a,g,operators working long hours and performing multiple tasks .they are probable working for below minimum wage.This should not be a requirment for a.g.home.They should be able to afford to pay staff.I ask anyone reading this where could you go stay and get 3 meal,and snack between meals,medication dispensing ,personal care and overall monitored for your health and well being.Today if I can get a hotel for $70.00 ,I consider myself lucky.
To sum the a.g.rate up.You have to work harder with a more difficult population and do 10 times the paper work. Some better and appreciative residents live in Tn.But the state wants to outlaw this because ,they want to save the bed for the Virginian in need for this bed.It's probable law by now.Most operator's are tied in to their business and just wanting to pay off debt service.Once that is they will probable close down and retire and rest .No newer young population gona do that.What will happen?
Va.is 47th in the nation in medicaid spending.Good management or is the state just not providing services needed.Va.is 1 of 7 states not having waiver service for ALFs.
The governor wants more cuts.Everythings going to be more ten years from now .more people in need of more everything.
New healthcare reform allows more user friendly Community Based Waiver programs and incentives for States to participate in them.Will Virginia participate ? Doesn't look so .
A waiver program for disabled people in need for assisted living should have been done years ago.I strongly support a general waiver program for the poorer people in need for assisted living .
I've never seen nothing like this .I hope someone will help these provider's and residents.
Programs should not be based on the sore politician word, "special interest ",but it is .Its not based on need.
Thank You ,Frankie Minor ,20 year advocate in caring for the poor and disabled people and treating them with kindess ,love and respect.
VALA supports these regulations and urges their adoption and earliest possible effective date.
I strongly agree with these proposed changes. There is an obvoius need for waiver services in Virginia and these changes will help to help to deliver a higher quality of care. These changes will greatly benefit the current ALF population residents as well as the future residents.
This change will allow more facilities to accept those with dimentia that otherwise would not have been able to find placement.
It's as if the the current funding rates for assisting the elderly, are based on a cost of living audit from 50 years ago. So many of our elders are disposed back into the system because even the families can't afford to support them. Because those with dementia have been unable to voice their concerns or there has been too much red tape just getting through the system, it's nice to know that someone out there is looking out for their best interests!!!!
We have been working with ALF for 3 years now and are amazed at how many come and go from the lack of funding and support. We do what we do, because we care...to learn more about our services visit us at www.leeshillcatering.com
To better coordinate with licensing who will also be looking at these facilities would you consider:
1)Individualized Service plan instead of Plan of Care 2) recognize that if a resident meets the criteria for a nursing facility and it is noted as such they are not eligible for assisted living - not even a secure unit if licensed under assisted living 3) delete reference to skilled nursing LHCP such as on page 6 4) under 4-c leave the requirement at 19 hours for activities but could remove one-to-one time (this is a new recommendation from RAP looking at standards for secure units) 5) 1630 B-7 is going to require two sets of forms unless the DMAS forms include all info required by Standards (have not seen forms) 6) check references to administrator training with requirements by Long Term Care Board and under new RAP recommendations 7) allow training by personel other than LHCP or clarify that is an option F-2 8) J-standards require a minimum of two people if five or more residents 9) check RAP through DSS for new training recommendations. This is a welcome opportunity for more elderly persons to be served but if it becomes too heavily laden as a medical model many facilities still will not be able to afford to provide services to these individuals. Thank you to those who were willing to consider changes.
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