HF 299

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to human services; increasing the number of
living-at-home/block nurse programs; increasing annual
program funding; appropriating money; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 256B.0917,
subdivision 8.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 256B.0917,
subdivision 8, is amended to read:

Subd. 8.

Living-at-home/block nurse program grant.

(a)
The organization awarded the contract under subdivision 7, shall
develop and administer a grant program to establish or expand up
to deleted text begin 33 deleted text end new text begin 38 new text end community-based organizations that will implement
living-at-home/block nurse programs that are designed to enable
senior citizens to live as independently as possible in their
homes and in their communities. At least one-half of the
programs must be in counties outside the seven-county
metropolitan area. Nonprofit organizations and units of local
government are eligible to apply for grants to establish the
community organizations that will implement living-at-home/block
nurse programs. In awarding grants, the organization awarded
the contract under subdivision 7 shall give preference to
nonprofit organizations and units of local government from
communities that:

(1) have high nursing home occupancy rates;

(2) have a shortage of health care professionals;

(3) are located in counties adjacent to, or are located in,
counties with existing living-at-home/block nurse programs; and

(4) meet other criteria established by LAH/BN, Inc., in
consultation with the commissioner.

(b) Grant applicants must also meet the following criteria:

(1) the local community demonstrates a readiness to
establish a community model of care, including the formation of
a board of directors, advisory committee, or similar group, of
which at least two-thirds is comprised of community citizens
interested in community-based care for older persons;

(2) the program has sponsorship by a credible,
representative organization within the community;

(3) the program has defined specific geographic boundaries
and defined its organization, staffing and coordination/delivery
of services;

(4) the program demonstrates a team approach to
coordination and care, ensuring that the older adult
participants, their families, the formal and informal providers
are all part of the effort to plan and provide services; and

(5) the program provides assurances that all community
resources and funding will be coordinated and that other funding
sources will be maximized, including a person's own resources.

(c) Grant applicants must provide a minimum of five percent
of total estimated development costs from local community
funding. Grants shall be awarded for four-year periods, and the
base amount shall not exceed deleted text begin $80,000 deleted text end new text begin $100,000 new text end per applicant for
the grant period. The organization under contract may increase
the grant amount for applicants from communities that have
socioeconomic characteristics that indicate a higher level of
need for assistance. Subject to the availability of funding,
grants and grant renewals awarded or entered into on or after
July 1, 1997, shall be renewed by LAH/BN, Inc. every four years,
unless LAH/BN, Inc. determines that the grant recipient has not
satisfactorily operated the living-at-home/block nurse program
in compliance with the requirements of paragraphs (b) and (d).
Grants provided to living-at-home/block nurse programs under
this paragraph may be used for both program development and the
delivery of services.

(d) Each living-at-home/block nurse program shall be
designed by representatives of the communities being served to
ensure that the program addresses the specific needs of the
community residents. The programs must be designed to:

(1) incorporate the basic community, organizational, and
service delivery principles of the living-at-home/block nurse
program model;

(2) provide senior citizens with registered nurse directed
assessment, provision and coordination of health and personal
care services on a sliding fee basis as an alternative to
expensive nursing home care;

(3) provide information, support services, homemaking
services, counseling, and training for the client and family
caregivers;

(4) encourage the development and use of respite care,
caregiver support, and in-home support programs, such as adult
foster care and in-home adult day care;

(5) encourage neighborhood residents and local
organizations to collaborate in meeting the needs of senior
citizens in their communities;

(6) recruit, train, and direct the use of volunteers to
provide informal services and other appropriate support to
senior citizens and their caregivers; and

(7) provide coordination and management of formal and
informal services to senior citizens and their families using
less expensive alternatives.

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $560,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the
commissioner of human services, for the biennium ending June 30,
2007, to increase base funding by $5,000 per year for
living-at-home/block nurse programs and to establish five new
living-at-home/block nurse programs, as provided under section 1.
new text end