Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. Host home
services are personal care and supportive services provided to a beneficiary
who lives in a private home with a family who is not the beneficiary's parent,
legal representative, or spouse. Host home families are a standalone family
living arrangement in which the principle caregiver in the host home assumes
the direct responsibility for the beneficiary's physical, social, and emotional
wellbeing and growth in a family environment. Host home services are to take
into account compatibility with the host home family members, including age,
support needs, and privacy needs.
B. Host home services include assistance
with:
1. personal care, assistance with the
activities of daily living and adaptive living needs;
2. leisure activities, assistance to develop
leisure interests and daily activities in the home setting;
3. social development/family inclusion,
assistance to develop relationships with other members of the household;
and
4. community inclusion supports
in accessing community services and activities and pursuing and developing
recreational and social interests outside the home.
NOTE: Natural supports are also encouraged and supported
when possible. Supports are to be consistent with the beneficiary's skill
level, goals, and interests.
C. Host home provider agencies oversee and
monitor the host home contractor to ensure the availability, quality, and
continuity of host home services. Host home provider agencies are responsible
for the following functions:
1. arranging,
training, and overseeing host home services (host home family);
2. making an initial inspection and periodic
inspections of the host home and upon any significant changes in the host
family unit or significant events which may impact the beneficiary;
3. having 24-hour responsibility over host
home services to the beneficiary, which includes back-up staffing for scheduled
and unscheduled absences of the host home family for up to 360 hours (15 days)
as authorized by the beneficiary's plan of care; and
4. providing relief staffing in the
beneficiary's home or in another host home family's home.
D. Host home contractors are responsible for:
1. attending the beneficiary's plan of care
meeting and participating, including providing information needed in the
development of the plan;
2.
following all aspects of the beneficiary's plan of care and any support
plans;
3. maintaining the
beneficiary's documentation;
4.
assisting the beneficiary in attending appointments (i.e., medical, therapy,
etc.) and undergoing any specialized training deemed necessary by the provider
agency, or required by the department, to provide supports in the host home
setting;
5. following all
requirements for staff as in any other waiver service including immediately
reporting to the department and applicable authorities any major issues or
concerns related to the beneficiary's safety and well-being; and
6. providing transportation as would a
natural family member.
E. Host home contractors who serve children
are required to provide daily supports and supervision on a 24-hour basis.
1. If the beneficiary is a child, the host
home family is to provide the supports required to meet the needs of a child as
any family would for a minor child.
2. Support needs are based on the child's
age, capabilities, health, and special needs.
3. A host home family can provide compensated
supports for up to two beneficiaries, regardless of the funding
source
F.Host home
contractors serving adults are required to be available for daily supervision,
support needs or emergencies as outlined in the adult beneficiary's POC based
on medical, health and behavioral needs, age, capabilities and any special
needs.
1. Host home contractors that serve
adults who have been interdicted must ensure that services are furnished in
accordance with the legal requirements of the interdiction.
G. Host home contractors who are engaged in
employment outside the home must adjust these duties to allow the flexibility
needed to meet their responsibilities to the beneficiary.
H. Host Home Capacity. Regardless of the
funding source, a host home contractor may not provide services for more than
two beneficiaries in the home.
I.
Service Exclusions
1. Separate payment will
not be made for community living supports since these services are integral to,
and inherent in, the provision of host home services.
2. Payment will not be made for the
following:
a. respite care services-out of
home;
b. shared living/shared
living conversion;
c. community
living supports;
d. companion
care;
e. monitored in-home
caregiving (MIHC);
f.
transportation-community access; or
g. one-time transition services.
3. The host home contractor may
not be the same individual as the owner or administrator of the designated
provider agency.
4. Payment will not
be made for services provided by a relative who is a:
a. parent(s) of a minor child;
b. legal guardian of an adult or child with
developmental disabilities;
c.
parent(s) for an adult child, regardless of whether or not the adult child has
been interdicted; or
d. spouse of
the beneficiary.
5.
Children eligible for Title IV-E services are not eligible for host home
services.
6. Payment does not
include room and board or maintenance, upkeep, or improvement of the host home
family's residence.
7.
Environmental adaptations are not available to beneficiaries receiving host
home services since the beneficiary's place of residence is owned or leased by
the host home family.
J.
Provider Qualifications
1. Home host service
provider agencies must meet the following qualifications:
a. have experience in delivering therapeutic
services to persons with developmental disabilities;
b. have staff who have experience working
with persons with developmental disabilities;
c. screen, train, oversee and provide
technical assistance to the host home family in accordance with OCDD
requirements, including the coordination of an array of medical, behavioral and
other professional services geared to persons with developmental disabilities
(DD); and
d. provide on-going
assistance to the host home family so that all HCBS waiver health and safety
assurances, monitoring, and critical incident reporting requirements are
met.
2. Agencies serving
children must be licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services as
a Class "A" Child Placing Agency under the Specialized Provider Licensing Act
(R.S.
46:1401-46:1430), LAC 67:V.Chapter
73.
3. Agencies serving adults must
be licensed by the Department of Health as a home and community-based services
provider and meet the module requirements for substitute family care in LAC
48:I.Chapter 50.
AUTHORITY
NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with
R.S.
36:254 and Title XIX of the Social Security
Act.
