ACF/AL Updates on EQUAL funding, New Survey Patterns and More

LeadingAge NY meets with the Department of Health (DOH) staff on a monthly basis to discuss Adult Care Facility (ACF) and Assisted Living (AL) issues. Members are encouraged to reach out to us with any questions or concerns, so that we may bring those issues to our monthly discussions. Below is a summary of some key points.

EQUAL Funding

Applications for EQUAL will likely be available in the summer. Members are reminded that new parameters have been put in statute regarding the expenditure of funds; however many of them are consistent with the application process. This is explained in detail in the ACF/Assisted Living section of our final budget summary, which can be found here. LeadingAge NY is working to amend the legislative language slightly to enable the EQUAL funds to pay for an expense incurred at any time during the fiscal year for which the funds have been appropriated, as long as the Resident Council approves the plan and it is consistent with the EQUAL program parameters.

Electronic Plan of Corrections

DOH plans to implement the Electronic Plan of Corrections statewide this summer. The system, which is already being used by nursing homes, uses the Health Commerce system (HCS) for the submission and approval process. Currently, DOH is working with several facilities across the state on a pilot to test the system and get feedback. If you are interested in participating in the pilot and are due for survey soon, please let me know.

Coming Up

The first quarter Statistical Information Report is due Thurs., April 30, 2015.
DOH is starting to do weekend surveys, beginning in the Capital Region.
In the beginning of June, DOH plans to post the annual financial report on the HCS.
DOH is continuing to work on the new equivalency for respite services. Any member wanting to provide respite services that has not yet obtained approval from DOH will need to submit the respite application to DOH’s Licensure and Certification unit in Albany until the equivalency is made available.

Medical Evaluations

DOH affirmed that a facility can accept a Medical Evaluation from an out of state physician.

Retraining Aides that Have Already Been Trained

A question was asked regarding necessary training for an ACF aide who has already undergone the required training. DOH recommends that the facility obtain documentation regarding the training they underwent, as well as the supervision they received in training. Subsequently, the aide’s competency in tasks should be assessed to determine what retraining may be needed.

News from the Justice Center

DOH reports that while we have seen a decline the number of transitional adult homes, a new one was recently added.

The Justice Center reports getting various complaints from consumers, mostly about their Supplemental Security Income (SSI) personal needs allowance (PNA). A common complaint is that it takes too much time to transition from one representative payee to another. DOH noted that case management around PNA and transitions is critical.

We also raised concern about ongoing lack of clarity and confusion about reporting deaths to the Justice Center of people who have received mental health services in the last 24 months. DOH has been working on this issue with the Justice Center; we will keep members apprised of any developments.

Closure Plans

DOH wants to remind providers that all closure plans are confidential until approved, and should not be implemented until approved. If the facility is experiencing significant financial difficulty and struggling to wait for approval, they are urged to contact DOH to discuss the circumstance.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the above issues, or any other ACF/assisted living concerns, please let us know.

Contact: Diane Darbyshire, ddarbyshire@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8828