Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) Purpose. This
section establishes the requirements for senior centers, a service provided
under the Older Americans Act and funded, in whole or in part, by DADS.
(b) Senior center services. As
provided in the Older Americans Act, §102(36), a senior center is a
community facility used for the organization and provision of a broad spectrum
of services for persons 60 years of age or older, which may include provision
of health (including mental health); social, nutritional, and educational
services; and the provision of facilities for recreational activities.
(c) Operations. A AAA must ensure
that a service provider of a senior center:
(1) complies with applicable local building
codes and ordinances and applicable state and federal laws, rules, and
regulations including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504;
(2) establishes the senior center in an area
central to and easily accessible by program participants;
(3) conducts fire prevention inspections on a
monthly basis using a trained senior staff person or volunteer of the service
provider;
(4) posts a copy of the
latest fire prevention inspection report in a conspicuous place in the senior
center and files the report at the senior center for review by the AAA;
(5) keeps doors, outside stairs,
and fire escapes free from obstruction and in proper condition;
(6) has basic first aid supplies at the
senior center available and maintained, clearly marked, and accessible to all
senior center staff persons and program participants;
(7) has an adequate number of service center
staff persons available at the center, during the time the center is open to
the public, who are certified in:
(A) first
aid;
(B) cardiopulmonary
resuscitation; and
(C) operating an
automatic external defibrillator, if one is available; and
(8) develops written policies and procedures
regarding senior center operations and makes them available to senior center
staff persons and program participants.
(d) Political activity. A AAA must ensure
that a service provider does not:
(1) use a
senior center for political campaigning except in those instances where a
representative from each political party running in the campaign is given an
equal opportunity to participate; or
(2) distribute political materials at a
senior center.
(e)
Religious activities and prayer. A AAA must ensure that a service provider does
not:
(1) allow a prayer or other religious
activity to be officially sponsored, led, or organized by a senior center staff
person or volunteer; or
(2)
prohibit a program participant from praying silently or audibly at a senior
center if the program participant so chooses.
(f) Inventory. A AAA must maintain an
accurate inventory of senior centers that were renovated, acquired, or
constructed, in whole or in part, with funds provided by DADS.
(g) Change in ownership or purpose of a
senior center.
(1) A AAA must ensure that:
(A) a grantee of funds from DADS to purchase
or construct a senior center notifies the AAA, in writing, of the purchase or
construction of the center within 30 days after such purchase or completion;
and
(B) a grantee of funds
described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph and any successor owner of the
senior center:
(i) notifies the AAA, in
writing, of:
(I) a change in the ownership of
the senior center; or
(II) a change
in the purpose of the senior center from the purpose for which it was purchased
or constructed; and
(ii)
makes such notification 30 days before the change described in clause (i) of
this subparagraph.
(2) A AAA must notify DADS if, within 10
years after purchase of or 20 years after completion of construction of a
senior center, either of the following occurs:
(A) the owner of a senior center ceases to be
a public or nonprofit private agency or organization; or
(B) there is a change in the purpose of the
senior center from the purpose for which it was purchased or
constructed.
(3) The
notice required by paragraph (2) of this subsection must be in writing and be
given to DADS within 10 days after a AAA is notified of the occurrence.
(4) If, within 10 years after the
purchase of a senior center or 20 years after the completion of construction of
a senior center, either of the conditions described in paragraph (2) of this
subsection occurs, the United States Government is entitled to recover from the
owner of the senior center an amount to be determined by the Older Americans
Act, §312.
(h)
Insurance. A AAA must ensure that the owner or operator of a senior center
maintains insurance coverage for total replacement cost of the center and for
the contents of a center funded by DADS.
