Eligibility for Home Support is open to individuals age 60 and older. Individuals aged 18 to 59 are also eligible to receive Home Support Services provided that such individuals are assessed and found clinically eligible for nursing facility services and are appropriate for diversion to OPTIONS Community Services. It is not required that eligibility be determined as part of a comprehensive assessment nor is Care Management required for consumers receiving the service. However, AAAs may use Care Management (or selected components thereof) if the consumer’s situation or resource distribution considerations warrant. The intent is to enable prioritization of need for the service when necessary to meet excessive demand.

        Home Support service activities are labor-intensive maintenance, cleaning and home management activities, and non-overnight home companion activities provided to ensure a safe and sanitary environment for consumers. The service is not to be rendered as routine household assistance with cleaning and chores. For consumers who do not receive Home Health, PAS or Personal Care Service (formally or informally), the frequency for ongoing home support activities should not (in most cases) be more than once or twice per month.

        Home Support includes instruction on managing the household as well as hands-on assistance. Allowable activities include:

¡ basic housekeeping and home management necessary to ensure safe and sanitary conditions;

¡ instructions in home management-home management includes such things as maintaining an orderly environment, proper food storage, preparation of shopping lists, maintaining appliances in safe working conditions;

     ¡ shopping assistance with or without the consumer;

     ¡ personal laundry and mending of clothing;

¡ transportation of the consumer by a Home Support worker to complete chores or keep appointments-this should occur only when transportation services are inappropriate or unavailable;

¡ labor-intensive low-cost home repair chores necessary for reasons of a consumer’s health and safety, which would approximate the hourly cost of other home support services; nonrecurring high cost or capital intensive home repairs, fumigation, modification, or rehabilitation services are not eligible home support activities; these activities are eligible under the Department’s Environmental Modifications Services;

¡ ground maintenance, such as lawn-mowing and snow removal, when absolutely necessary to maintain a consumer in his/her home;

¡ non-overnight home companion services to provide respite to a primary caregiver from the provision of the above activities; in some cases, non-overnight home companion services should be used to combat disorientation and/or depression, which would result from prolonged aloneness.

        Qualifications and selection of Home Support Workers must follow personnel policies that include:

¡ Home Support Workers must have the ability to understand and carry out simple instructions.

¡ a personal interview and follow-up of references provided by the workers. Documentation of follow-up must be incorporated into the worker’s personnel file;

        Appropriate references include:

¡ one verifiable work reference indicating a minimal length of employment of 2 years or;

¡ one verifiable work reference if employed less than two years plus one verifiable personal reference;

     ¡ two verifiable personal references.

        In recruiting, there must be assurance of compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

        Agencies that provide Home Support services must assure that home support workers comply with federal, state and local health requirements related to communicable disease. All field staff must receive a PPD test-the results of which are maintained in their files.

        There must be documentation that any worker who transports consumers in the line of duty possesses a currently valid driver’s license and appropriate insurance.

        Workers must receive a copy of a job description, personnel policies and wage scale for the position.

        These tasks are provided by paraprofessionals with supervision. Supervision by a Registered Nurse is not required.

        No specific pre-service training is required of Home Support Workers, however, they must demonstrate knowledge and ability to perform the activities assigned. Methods for determining this include but are not limited to:

     ¡ previous job experience; or

     ¡ verification by previous employer, or

     ¡ completion of a questionnaire testing the worker’s knowledge.

        Providers must establish regular in-service training for Homemaker staff. Topic areas must include:

     ¡ principles of cleanliness and home safety;

     ¡ communication with older persons;

     ¡ understanding aging and functionally impaired persons;

     ¡ observing, appraising and reporting changes in consumers’ situations.

        Documentation of demonstrated skill and in-service training must be maintained as part of the worker’s personnel record.

        Contractor must maintain service records that include a service order for tasks to be performed and a report form requiring a consumer’s signature verifying the length of time spent and satisfactory completion of the service.

        Report form for the Home Support Workers to document changes or other observed consumer problems.

        AAA must maintain records required by the Department of Aging for program and financial reporting.

        AAA (or its subcontractor) must maintain service records that include a service order for tasks to be performed and a report form requiring a consumer’s signature verifying the length of time spent and satisfactory completion of the service.

        Persons providing Home Support services must comply with all reporting requirements as specified by the Area Agency on Aging.

        Days and times scheduled for home support must be consistent with the Care Plan provided by the Area Agency on Aging.

        Agencies who wish to provide Home Support services will be required to attest to having the following types of insurance in amounts consistent in the industry:

     ¡ general liability;

     ¡ automobile liability of vehicle is company owned;

     ¡ workman compensation as required by law;

     ¡ employer’s liability of accident and disease.

        All agencies that provide Home Support services must comply with all federal, state and local laws relating to research on human subjects and consumer confidentiality.

        Agencies must provide all care mangers with consent forms and approval from all appropriate review boards for those consumers who wish to be part of a research study.