Jurris.COM

Article 7. Levels Of Care of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 3.2. >> Article 7.

It is the intent of the Legislature to develop and implement a plan to establish three levels of care under the residential care facility for the elderly license, subject to future Budget Act appropriations and statutory authorization to implement levels of care.
  (a) The guidelines for the development of these levels of care are:
  (1) Level I--Base care and supervision. Residents at this level are able to maintain a higher degree of independence and need only minimum care and supervision, as defined, and minimal personal care assistance.
  (2) Level II--Nonmedical personal care. Residents at this level have functional limitations and psychosocial needs requiring not only care and supervision but frequent assistance with personal activities of daily living and active intervention to help them maintain their potential for independent living.
  (3) Level III--Health related assistance. Residents at this level require the services of lower levels and rely on the facility for extensive assistance with personal activities of daily living. This level may include residents who also require the occasional services of an appropriate skilled professional due to chronic health problems and returning residents recovering from illness, injury, or treatment that required placement in facilities providing higher levels of care. These levels are to be based on the services required by residents at each level due to their functional limitations.
  (b) The levels of care plan shall include:
  (1) Guidelines for meeting requirements at each level of care by utilizing appropriate community and professional services. Options shall be provided to allow facilities to meet resident needs by accessing community services or hiring appropriate staff.
  (2) Assessment procedures for facility evaluation of residents' level of care needs.
  (3) Process for ensuring the individual facility's ability to serve clients at each level of care they intend to provide.
  (4) Recommendations for a supplemental rate structure based on the services required at Levels II and III to be provided for residents who need those levels of care and are recipients of SSI/SSP. These rates shall be in addition to the basic SSI/SSP rate for providing care supervision and shall reflect actual costs of operation for residential care facilities for the elderly.
  (5) Procedures for assessment and certification of SSI/SSP recipients, by county social services departments to allow for administration of the supplemental rate structure.
  (6) Procedures for evaluating and monitoring the appropriateness of the levels of care determined for SSI/SSP recipients.
  (c) Implementation of the levels of care system shall consider the applicability of the 1985 level of care report developed by the California Health and Human Services Agency, so as to ensure continuity in the residential care facility for the elderly program as outlined under this chapter.
In consultation with the State Fire Marshal the department shall develop and expedite implementation of regulations related to nonambulatory persons that ensure resident safety but also provide flexibility to allow residents to remain in the least restrictive environment. Following the implementation of levels of care, regulations related to nonambulatory persons shall also provide the flexibility necessary for those levels in residential care facilities for the elderly.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (d), no resident shall be admitted or retained in a residential care facility for the elderly if any of the following apply:
  (1) The resident requires 24-hour, skilled nursing or intermediate care.
  (2) The resident is bedridden, other than for a temporary illness or for recovery from surgery.
  (b) (1) For the purposes of this section, "bedridden" means requiring assistance in turning and repositioning in bed or being unable to independently transfer to and from bed, except in a facility with appropriate and sufficient care staff, mechanical devices, if necessary, and safety precautions, as determined by the director in regulations.
  (2) The determination of the bedridden status of persons with developmental disabilities shall be made by the Director of Social Services or his or her designated representative, in consultation with the Director of Developmental Services or his or her designated representative, after consulting the resident's individual safety plan. The determination of the bedridden status of all other persons with disabilities who are not developmentally disabled shall be made by the Director of Social Services, or his or her designated representative.
  (c) Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), bedridden persons may be admitted to, and remain in, residential care facilities for the elderly that secure and maintain an appropriate fire clearance. A fire clearance shall be issued to a facility in which one or more bedridden persons reside if either of the following conditions are met:
  (1) The fire safety requirements are met. Residents who are unable to independently transfer to and from bed, but who do not need assistance to turn or reposition in bed, shall be considered nonambulatory for purposes of this paragraph.
  (2) Alternative methods of protection are approved.
  (d) (1) For purposes of this section, "temporary illness" means any illness which persists for 14 days or less.
  (e) A bedridden resident may be retained in a residential care facility for the elderly in excess of 14 days if all of the following requirements are satisfied:
  (1) The facility notifies the department in writing regarding the temporary illness or recovery from surgery.
  (2) The facility submits to the department, with the notification, a physician and surgeon's written statement to the effect that the resident's illness or recovery is of a temporary nature. The statement shall contain an estimated date upon which the illness or recovery will end or upon which the resident will no longer be confined to a bed.
  (3) The department determines that the health and safety of the resident is adequately protected in that facility and that transfer to a higher level of care is not necessary.
  (4) This section does not expand the scope of care and supervision of a residential care facility for the elderly.
  (f) Notwithstanding the length of stay of a bedridden resident, every facility admitting or retaining a bedridden resident, as defined in this section, shall, within 48 hours of the resident's admission or retention in the facility, notify the local fire authority with jurisdiction in the bedridden resident's location of the estimated length of time the resident will retain his or her bedridden status in the facility.
  (g) Nothing in this section shall be used for purposes of Section 1569.70 to determine the appropriateness of residents being admitted or retained in a residential care facility for the elderly on the basis of health-related conditions and the need for these services until the three levels of care set forth in Section 1569.70 are fully implemented. This section shall not prohibit the Community Care Licensing Division of the State Department of Social Services from continuing to implement the regulations of Article 8 (commencing with Section 87700) of Chapter 8 of Division 6 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, as promulgated and approved on February 13, 1990.
  (h) (1) The department and the Office of the State Fire Marshal, in consultation with the State Department of Developmental Services, shall each promulgate regulations that meet all of the following conditions:
  (A) Are consistent with subdivisions (a) to (f), inclusive.
  (B) Are applicable to facilities regulated under this chapter, consistent with the regulatory requirements of the California Building Standards Code for fire and life safety for the respective occupancy classifications into which the State Department of Social Services' community care licensing classifications fall.
  (C) Permit residents to remain in home-like settings.
  (2) At a minimum, these regulations shall do both of the following with regard to a residential care facility that provides care for six or fewer residents, at least one of whom is bedridden:
  (A) Clarify the fire and life safety requirements for a fire clearance for the facility.
  (B) (i) Identify procedures for requesting the approval of alternative means of providing equivalent levels of fire and life safety protection.
  (ii) Either the facility, the resident or resident's representative, or local fire official may request from the Office of the State Fire Marshal a written opinion concerning the interpretation of the regulations promulgated by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to this section for a particular factual dispute. The State Fire Marshal shall issue the written opinion within 45 days following the request.
  (i) For facilities that care for six or fewer clients, a local fire official may not impose fire safety requirements stricter than the fire safety regulations promulgated for the particular type of facility by the Office of the State Fire Marshal or the local fire safety requirements imposed on any other single family dwelling, whichever is more strict.
  (j) This section and any regulations promulgated thereunder shall be interpreted in a manner that provides flexibility to allow bedridden persons to avoid institutionalization and be admitted to, and safely remain in, community-based residential care facilities.
(a) A residential care facility for the elderly may permit incidental medical services to be provided through a home health agency, licensed pursuant to Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 1725), when all of the following conditions are met:
  (1) The facility, in the judgment of the department, has the ability to provide the supporting care and supervision appropriate to meet the needs of the resident receiving care from a home health agency.
  (2) The home health agency has been advised of the regulations pertaining to residential care facilities for the elderly and the requirements related to incidental medical services being provided in the facility.
  (3) There is evidence of an agreed-upon protocol between the home health agency and the residential care facility for the elderly. The protocol shall address areas of responsibility of the home health agency and the facility and the need for communication and the sharing of resident information related to the home health care plan. Resident information may be shared between the home health agency and the residential care facility for the elderly relative to the resident's medical condition and the care and treatment provided to the resident by the home health agency including, but not limited to, medical information, as defined by the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, Part 2.6 (commencing with Section 56) of Division 1 of the Civil Code.
  (4) There is ongoing communication between the home health agency and the residential care facility for the elderly about the services provided to the resident by the home health agency and the frequency and duration of care to be provided.
  (b) Nothing in this section is intended to expand the scope of care and supervision for a residential care facility for the elderly, as prescribed by this chapter.
  (c) Nothing in this section shall require any care or supervision to be provided by the residential care facility for the elderly beyond that which is permitted in this chapter.
  (d) The department shall not be responsible for the evaluation of medical services provided to the resident of the residential care facility for the elderly by the home health agency.
  (e) Any regulations, policies, or procedures related to sharing resident information and development of protocols, established by the department pursuant to this section, shall be developed in consultation with the State Department of Health Services and persons representing home health agencies and residential care facilities for the elderly.
(a) Notwithstanding Section 1569.72 or any other provision of law, a residential care facility for the elderly may obtain a waiver from the department for the purpose of allowing a resident who has been diagnosed as terminally ill by his or her physician and surgeon to remain in the facility, or allowing a person who has been diagnosed as terminally ill by his or her physician and surgeon to become a resident of the facility if that person is already receiving hospice services and would continue to receive hospice services without disruption if he or she became a resident, when all the following conditions are met:
  (1) The facility agrees to retain the terminally ill resident, or accept as a resident the terminally ill person, and to seek a waiver on behalf of the individual, provided the individual has requested the waiver and is capable of deciding to obtain hospice services.
  (2) The terminally ill resident, or the terminally ill person to be accepted as a resident, has obtained the services of a hospice certified in accordance with federal medicare conditions of participation and licensed pursuant to Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 1725) or Chapter 8.5 (commencing with Section 1745).
  (3) The facility, in the judgment of the department, has the ability to provide care and supervision appropriate to meet the needs of the terminally ill resident or the terminally ill person to be accepted as a resident, and is in substantial compliance with regulations governing the operation of residential care facilities for the elderly.
  (4) The hospice has agreed to design and provide for care, services, and necessary medical intervention related to the terminal illness as necessary to supplement the care and supervision provided by the facility.
  (5) An agreement has been executed between the facility and the hospice regarding the care plan for the terminally ill resident or terminally ill person to be accepted as a resident. The care plan shall designate the primary caregiver, identify other caregivers, and outline the tasks the facility is responsible for performing and the approximate frequency with which they shall be performed. The care plan shall specifically limit the facility's role for care and supervision to those tasks allowed under this chapter.
  (6) The facility has obtained the agreement of those residents who share the same room with the terminally ill resident, or any resident who will share a room with the terminally ill person to be accepted as a resident, to allow the hospice caregivers into their residence.
  (b) At any time that the licensed hospice, the facility, or the terminally ill resident determines that the resident's condition has changed so that continued residence in the facility will pose a threat to the health and safety to the terminally ill resident or any other resident, the facility may initiate procedures for a transfer.
  (c) A facility that has obtained a hospice waiver from the department pursuant to this section need not call emergency response services at the time of a life-threatening emergency if the hospice agency is notified instead and all of the following conditions are met:
  (1) The resident is receiving hospice services from a licensed hospice agency.
  (2) The resident has completed an advance directive, as defined in Section 4605 of the Probate Code, requesting to forego resuscitative measures.
  (3) The facility has documented that facility staff have received training from the hospice agency on the expected course of the resident's illness and the symptoms of impending death.
  (d) Nothing in this section is intended to expand the scope of care and supervision for a residential care facility for the elderly as defined in this act, nor shall a facility be required to alter or extend its license in order to retain a terminally ill resident or allow a terminally ill person to become a resident of the facility as authorized by this section.
  (e) Nothing in this section shall require any care or supervision to be provided by the residential care facility for the elderly beyond that which is permitted in this chapter.
  (f) Nothing in this section is intended to expand the scope of life care contracts or the contractual obligation of continuing care retirement communities as defined in Section 1771.
  (g) The department shall not be responsible for the evaluation of medical services provided to the resident by the hospice and shall have no liability for the independent acts of the hospice.
  (h) Nothing in this section shall be construed to relieve a licensed residential care facility for the elderly of its responsibility to notify the appropriate fire authority of the presence of a bedridden resident in the facility as required under subdivision (f) of Section 1569.72, and to obtain and maintain a fire clearance as required under Section 1569.149.
(a) Licensed residential care facilities for the elderly that employ health care providers may establish policies to honor a request to forego resuscitative measures as defined in Section 4780 of the Probate Code.
  (b) Any policy established pursuant to subdivision (a) shall meet all of the following conditions:
  (1) The policy shall be in writing and specify procedures to be followed in implementing the policy.
  (2) The policy and procedures shall, at all times, be available in the facility for review by the department.
  (3) The licensee shall ensure that all staff are aware of the policy as well as the procedures to be followed in implementing the policy.
  (4) A copy of the policy shall be given to each resident who makes a request to forego resuscitative measures and to the resident's primary physician.
  (5) A copy of the resident's request to forego resuscitative measures shall be maintained in the facility and shall be immediately available for review by facility staff, the licensed health care provider, and the department.
  (6) Facility staff are prohibited, on behalf of any resident, from signing any directive document as a witness or from being the legally recognized surrogate decisionmaker.
  (7) The facility shall provide the resident's physician with a copy of the resident's request to forego resuscitative measures form.
  (c) Any action by a facility that has established policies pursuant to subdivision (a), to honor a resident's request to forego resuscitative measures as provided for in subdivision (a) may only be taken in either of the following ways:
  (1) By a licensed health care provider who is employed by the facility and on the premises at the time of the life threatening emergency.
  (2) By notifying, under those conditions specified in subdivision (c) of Section 1569.73, the hospice agency that is caring for a resident receiving hospice services.
  (d) Licensed residential care facilities for the elderly that have not established policies pursuant to subdivision (a), may keep an executed request to forego resuscitative measures form in the resident's file and present it to an emergency medical technician or paramedic when authorized to do so in writing by the resident or his or her legally recognized surrogate decisionmaker. The request may be honored by an emergency medical technician or by any health care provider as defined in Section 4621 of the Probate Code, who, in the course of professional or volunteer duties, responds to emergencies.