Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 50 - PUBLIC HEALTH-MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
Part XXI - Home and Community-Based Services Waivers
Subpart 13 - Residential Options Waiver
Chapter 163 - Covered Services
Section XXI-16329 - Shared Living Services

Universal Citation: LA Admin Code XXI-16329

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

A. Shared living services are provided to a beneficiary in his/her home and community to achieve, improve, and/or maintain social and adaptive skills necessary to enable the beneficiary to reside in the community and to participate as independently as possible. Services are chosen by the beneficiary and developed in accordance with his/her goals and wishes with regard to compatibility, interests, age and privacy in the shared living setting.

1. A shared living services provider delivers supports which include:
a. 24-hour staff availability;

b. assistance with activities of daily living included in the beneficiary's POC;

c. a daily schedule;

d. health and welfare needs;

e. transportation;

f. any non-residential ROW services delivered by the shared living services provider; and

g. other responsibilities as required in each beneficiary's POC.

2. Shared living services focus on the beneficiary's preferences and goals.

3. Supports provided are related to the acquisition, improvement, and maintenance in level of independence, autonomy, and adaptive skills and are to be included in each beneficiary's plan of care. This includes:
a. self-care skills,

b. adaptive skills, and

c. leisure skills.

4. The overall goal is to provide the beneficiary the ability to successfully reside with others in the community while sharing supports.

5. Shared living services take into account the compatibility of the beneficiaries sharing services, which includes individual interests, age of the beneficiaries, and the privacy needs of each beneficiary.
a. Each beneficiary's essential personal rights of privacy, dignity and respect, and freedom from coercion are protected.

6. The shared living setting is selected by each beneficiary among all available alternatives and is identified in each beneficiary's plan of care.
a. Each beneficiary has the ability to determine whether or with whom he or she shares a room.

b. Each beneficiary has the freedom of choice regarding daily living experiences, which include meals, visitors, and activities.

c. Each beneficiary is not limited in opportunities to pursue community activities.

7. Shared living services may be shared by up to four beneficiaries who have a common shared living provider agency.

8. Shared living services must be agreed to by each beneficiary and the health and welfare must be able to be assured for each beneficiary.
a. ...

b. Each beneficiary's plan of care must reflect the shared living services and include the shared rate for the service indicated.

9. The shared living service setting is integrated in, and facilitates each beneficiary's full access to, the greater community, which includes providing beneficiaries with the same opportunities as individuals without disabilities to seek employment and work in competitive integrated settings, engage in community life, control personal resources, and receive services in the community.

B. An ICF/IID may elect to permanently relinquish its ICF/IID license and all of its Medicaid facility need review approved beds from the total number of certificate of need (CON) beds for that home and convert it into a shared living waiver home or in combination with other ROW residential options as deemed appropriate in the approved conversion agreement.

1. In order to convert, provider request must be approved by the department and by OCDD.

2. ICF/IID residents who choose transition to a shared living waiver home must also agree to conversion of their residence.

3. If choosing ROW services, persons may select any ROW services and provider(s) based upon freedom of choice.

4. All shared living service beneficiaries are required to have an individualized back-up staffing plan and an individualized emergency evacuation plan which are to be submitted with their plan of care.

5. Shared living services are not located in a building that is a publicly or privately operated facility that provides inpatient institutional treatment, or in a building on the grounds of, or immediately adjacent to, a public institution, or disability-specific housing complex. Shared living services are not provided in settings that are isolated from the larger community.

6. Family members who provide shared living services must meet the same standards as unrelated provider agency staff.

7. Shared living service providers are responsible for providing 24-hour staff availability along with other identified responsibilities as indicated in each beneficiary's individualized plan of care. This includes responsibility for each beneficiary's routine daily schedule, for ensuring the health and welfare of each beneficiary while in his or her place of residence and in the community, and for any other waiver services provided by the shared living services provider.

8. Shared living services may be provided in a residence that is owned or leased by the provider or that is owned or leased by the beneficiary. Services may not be provided in a residence that is owned or leased by any legally responsible relative of the beneficiary. If shared living services are provided in a residence that is owned or leased by the provider, any modification of the conditions must be supported by specific assessed needs and documented in the beneficiary's plan of care. The provider is responsible for the cost of, and implementation of, the modification when the residence is owned or leased by the provider.

9. In a provider-owned or controlled residential setting, the following additional conditions must be met. Any modifications of the conditions must be supported by a specific assessed need and documented in the plan of care:
a. the unit or room is a specific physical place that can be owned, rented, or occupied under a legally enforceable agreement by the beneficiary receiving services, and the beneficiary has, at a minimum, the same responsibilities and protections from eviction that the tenants have under the landlord/tenant laws of the state, parish, city, or other designated entity;

b. each beneficiary has privacy in their sleeping or living unit, which requires the following:
i. ...

ii. beneficiaries share units only at the beneficiary's choice; and

iii. beneficiaries have the freedom to furnish and decorate their sleeping or living units;

c. beneficiaries have the freedom and support to control their own schedules and activities, and have access to food at any time;

d. beneficiaries are able to have visitors of their choosing at any time; and

e. the setting is physically accessible to the beneficiary.

C. Shared Living Options

1. Shared Living Conversion Option. The shared living conversion option is only allowed for providers of homes which were previously licensed and Medicaid certified as an ICF/IID for up to a maximum of eight licensed and Medicaid-funded beds on October 1, 2009.
a. The number of beneficiaries for the shared living conversion option shall not exceed the licensed and Medicaid-funded bed capacity of the ICF/IID on October 1, 2009, or up to six individuals, whichever is less.

b. The ICF/IID used for the shared living conversion option must meet the department's operational, programming and quality assurances of health and safety for all beneficiaries.

c. The provider of shared living services is responsible for the overall assurances of health and safety for all beneficiaries.

d. The provider of shared living conversion option may provide nursing services and professional services to beneficiaries utilizing this residential services option.

2. Shared Living Non-Conversion (New) Option. The shared living non-conversion option is allowed only for new or existing ICF/IID providers to establish a shared living waiver home for up to a maximum of three individuals.
a. The shared living waiver home must be located separate and apart from any ICF/IID.

b. The shared living waiver home must be either a home owned or leased by the waiver beneficiaries or a home owned or leased and operated by a licensed shared living provider.

c. ...

d. The shared living provider is responsible for the overall assurances of health and safety for all beneficiaries.

3. ICF/IID providers who convert an ICF/IID to a shared living home via the shared living conversion model must be approved by OCDD and licensed by HSS prior to providing services in this setting, and prior to accepting any ROW beneficiary or applicant for residential or any other developmental disability service(s).

4. An ICF/IID provider who elects to convert to a shared living home via the shared living conversion process shall obtain the approval of all of the residents of the home(s) (or the responsible parties for these residents) regarding the conversion of the ICF/IID prior to beginning the process of conversion.

5. ICF/IID providers who elect to convert to a shared living home via the shared living conversion process shall submit a licensing application for a HCBS provider license, shared living module.

D. Service Exclusions and Limitations

1. Payment does not include room and board or maintenance, upkeep or improvements of the beneficiary's or the provider's property.

2. Payments shall not be made for environmental accessibility adaptations when the provider owns or leases the residence.

3. Beneficiaries may receive one-time transitional services only if the beneficiary owns or leases the home and the service provider is not the owner or landlord of the home.

4. MFP beneficiaries cannot participate in ROW shared living services which serve more than four persons in a single residence.

5. Transportation-community access services cannot be billed or provided for beneficiaries receiving shared living services, as this is a component of shared living services.

6. The following services are not available to participants receiving shared living services:
a. community living supports;

b. respite care services-out of home;

c. companion care;

d. host home;

e. monitored in-home caregiving (MIHC);

f. transportation-community access; or

g. environmental accessibility adaptations (if housing is leased or owned by the provider).

7. Shared living services are not available to beneficiary 17 years of age and under.

8. The shared living services rate includes the cost of transportation.
a. The provider is responsible for providing transportation for all community activities except for vocational services.

b. Transportation for vocational services is included in the rate of the vocational service.

9. All Medicaid State Plan nursing services must be utilized and exhausted.

10. 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.

11. The shared living staff may not live in the beneficiary's place of residence.

E. Provider Qualifications. Providers must be licensed by the Department of Health as a home and communitybased services provider and meet the module requirements for supervised independent living and/or supervised independent living-conversion in LAC 48:I.Chapter 50.

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 36:254 and Title XIX of the Social Security Act.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Louisiana may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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