Current through August 26, 2024
(1) APPLICABILITY. A
residential care center for children and youth may operate a respite care
services program with approval of the department. A residential care center for
children and youth that chooses to provide respite care services shall comply
with the provisions of this chapter except as stated in this section.
(2) DEFINITIONS. In this section:
(a) "Respite care" means temporary care for a
child with a disability or special care need, usually on behalf of a parent or
regular caregiver for the purpose of providing relief to the parent or regular
caregiver from the extraordinary and intensive demands of providing ongoing
care for the child, but also for when a parent or regular caregiver may be at
risk of abusing a child due to stress and, therefore, requires relief from
caregiver duties, or the parent or regular caregiver is in a crisis situation
that can be alleviated by providing temporary relief from caregiver
duties.
(b) "Respite care services
episode" or "episode" means a period of time during which respite care is
provided to a parent or regular caregiver by placing a child, otherwise under
the parent's or regular caregiver's care, at a residential care
center.
(c) "Respite care services
program" means a center-provided program of respite care services for a child
with a disability or special need on behalf of a parent or regular caregiver
and includes, for the child, individualized personal care and services at the
level necessary to meet the child's immediate needs, along with room and board
provided in comfortable surroundings.
(3) EXCEPTIONS FOR RESPITE CARE PROGRAMS.
Respite care programs shall comply with all provisions of this chapter except
the following:
(a) Section DCF 52.21 (1), (2),
(5) (a) and (8) (a).
(b) Sections
DCF 52.22 and 52.23.
(c) Section
DCF 52.41.
(d) Section DCF 52.49 (2) (b) 1. a. to g. and 3.
(4) PROGRAM STATEMENT. A center accepting
respite care clients shall have a program statement describing its respite care
services program. The program statement shall cover at minimum all of the
following:
(a) The purposes for which respite
care is provided and the type of population served.
(b) Specific center assessment procedures and
services available for care arrangements in assisting a child admitted for
respite care.
(c) Compatibility of
the respite care services program component with other programs of the
center.
(d) Staffing arrangements
for respite care services.
(e)
Health care arrangements for respite care placements, including the process for
securing medical authorizations for general and emergency medical care
including surgery.
(f) Recreational
activities and programming for respite care placements.
(5) ADMISSIONS. A center operating a respite
care services program shall have all of the following written policies and
procedures for admission of a prospective respite care resident:
(a) A policy regarding the type of respite
care children who can be served, such as those who are emotionally disturbed,
physically disabled, medically needy, or developmentally disabled, including
the specific types of developmental disabilities served.
(b) Procedures for screening children
referred for respite care to ensure that they are appropriate for the center's
respite care program.
(c)
Procedures for obtaining parent or guardian written consents for emergency
medical care and authorization for administration of medications.
(d)
1.
Procedures for obtaining from the parent or other regular caregiver necessary
and essential information for the temporary care of the child, which may
include medical, behavioral, dietary, or emotional concerns and appropriate
responses or instructions. Assessment shall cover at minimum the following
areas: eating, toileting, mobility, communication, health problems, behavioral
issues, socialization, supervision needs, and personal self-help.
2. Procedures for obtaining identifying
information at the time of admission on the child and the child's family and
information about current special needs of the child, including usual day
activities; transportation arrangements; any appointments; current health
problems; special equipment used; communication issues; behavioral issues;
eating habits, schedule and preferences; sleeping habits and any usual bedtime
routine; toileting concerns; safety concerns; discipline or behavioral
management recommendations; preferred leisure time activities; and any other
comments from the parent or regular caregiver.
(e) Procedures as described under s. DCF 52.21 (7) for orienting a child to the center's respite care program, available
care staff and room arrangements, and assisting the child in any adjustment
issues to the child's temporary stay.
(f) Procedures for assigning specific care
staff to a respite care child.
(g)
Procedures for contacting the parent or other regular caregiver regarding care
questions or in emergency situations.
(h) A policy on who may pick up the child or
youth at the end of respite care and policies and procedures for establishing
the date and time at which the child or youth is to be picked up.
(i) Procedures for making a record of all of
the child's personal belongings and medications upon arrival at the
center.
(j) Procedures for
maintaining a log with dates of all respite care episodes for each
child.
(6) STAFFING. A
center shall assign a staff person to have primarily responsibility for the
center's respite care services program. This person shall have experience in
serving the type of disability or population the center serves. Staff-to-child
ratios shall at minimum meet the ratio as otherwise prescribed in s. DCF 52.12
or be as needed to meet the needs of the respite care persons in care. The
responsible staff person shall have access to medical, psychiatric, dietary and
social services consultation as needed.
(7) WRITTEN CARE PLAN.
(a)
Written care plan. A
center shall develop a written plan of care for each child admitted to the
center for respite care.
(b)
Planning for the child.
1.
The written care plan shall be prepared in consultation with the child's parent
or other regular caregiver and prior to placement, except if the reason for
placement is of a crisis emergency nature.
2. The written care plan shall provide for
necessary service supports to meet social, emotional adjustment, medical, and
dietary needs; physical environment accommodation; means for the respite care
child to contact the child's parent or other regular caregiver; accommodations
to meet physical disabilities such as requiring, if needed by the child, a TTY
device for the hearing impaired, handrails, or visual devices; and a planned
variety of recreational activities. The educational needs of the child shall be
attended to while in placement as prescribed by the parent or other regular
caregiver.
(c)
Length of stay. A respite care placement shall not extend
beyond 9 days per episode unless department approval is first
obtained.
(8) DISCHARGE.
When a child is discharged from respite care, the residential care center shall
document all of the following in the child's respite care record:
(a) The dates of the child's stay, a summary
of the child's stay with any significant incidents noted, and the name of the
person to whom the child was discharged.
(b) A list of all personal belongings,
medications, and medical equipment that went with the child upon
discharge.
(9) TRAINING
AND EVALUATION.
(a)
Training.
1. Training for staff of a respite care
services program shall include training in the areas of arranging for
transitional care and transitional placement planning principles and
methods.
2. Staff shall have
respite care training designed around the specific needs of individuals for
which care is provided, such as autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and
intellectual disabilities. As part of this training, staff who have not already
had some experience working with the type of individual to be cared for shall
have at least 8 hours of supervised experience by someone who is knowledgeable
in working with the type of individual or more than 8 hours if necessary to
ensure the provision of competent care.
(b)
Evaluation. After each
respite care episode, a residential care center shall evaluate the care
provided through a survey to be completed by the parent or other regular
caregiver and, if possible, the child. The center shall use the survey
information to improve, as necessary, its respite care services program and
shall keep these surveys on file for one year from their completion.
(10) CLIENT RECORDS. A center with
a respite care services program shall meet the resident record requirements
found under this section and under s. DCF 52.49, except requirements under s.
DCF 52.49 (2) (b) 1. a. to g. and 3. A respite care resident's record shall
include all documentation required under this section.
