Additional Guidance on the Companionship Exemption Rule

On March 28, the U.S. Department of Labor posted a fact sheet on how the final companionship exemption rule which goes into effect in January 2015 applies to “shared living programs.” A shared living program is defined as a program that, “provides supports and services allowing people with disabilities and older adults to live in their own homes or in family homes in their communities, as opposed to in congregate settings like group homes or institutions, and in which the individual receiving assistance and the worker providing it live and share a life together.”  Sometimes these programs are referred to as “adult foster care” or “supported living” or “paid roommate.”

The fact sheet provides guidance on how the final companionship exemption rule may apply to home care workers that have shared living arrangements.

Contact: Cheryl Udell, cudell@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8871