1. (a) Responsibilities of the Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services of the Department of Human Services:

   1. (1) Monitoring of all state and federally funded activities which involve service delivery to elderly persons;
   2. (2) Establishing an assessment process to ensure compliance with program policy and procedures;
   3. (3) Providing technical assistance and quality assurance in program area;
   4. (4) Providing necessary reports requested by the Administration on Aging and/or state legislators; and
   5. (5) Revising program area policy and procedures as necessary.

2. (b) Responsibilities of providers. Each service provider offering telephone reassurance funded by state and/or federal funds must meet the following program requirements:

   1. (1)

      1. (A) Service activities.
      2. (B) A person qualified by training or experience must be designated to supervise the service.
      3. (C) There must be an organizational structure with:

3. (i) Clear lines of supervision;

   1. (ii) Approved position descriptions;

      1. (iii) Established job qualifications; and

         1. (iv) The clear assignment of all functional tasks.
      2. (D) Satisfactory procedures must be established to recruit, train, schedule, and evaluate staff, paid and volunteer.
      3. (E) Satisfactory procedures must be established to develop sources of volunteer staff to augment paid staff.
      4. (F) The client shall be allowed the opportunity to contribute to the cost of the service if financially able.
      5. (G) Satisfactory procedures must be established to utilize client contributions for the service.

      6. (H)

         1. (i) Training is to be provided for all staff, paid and volunteer, in all aspects of service provision.
         2. (ii) Training for telephone reassurance should include but is not limited to:
4. (a) (a) Principles of communication;

5. (b) (b) Scheduling of reassurance calls;

   1. (c)
   2. (1) (c)(1) Developing an emergency plan of action if unable to reach client at appointed time.

   3. (2) (2) For example, telephone numbers of neighbors, clergy, or a relative who could be called to go to the client's home to check on their status;

      1. (d)
   4. (1) (d)(1) Keeping emergency plan information current.
   5. (2) (2) Emergency plan information should be updated quarterly or as necessary in between quarters;
6. (e) (e) Implementing special or emergency assistance plans;
7. (f) (f) Confidentiality of client information;
8. (g) (g) Reporting units of service;

9. (h) (h) Satisfactory procedures must be established to provide timely and accurate required reports including data for the Management Information System (MIS);

   1. (i) (i) Satisfactory procedures must be established to protect confidentiality of records which include an older person's name and personal information, and to obtain and record the individual's informed consent prior to the release of personal information;
10. (j) (j) Satisfactory procedures must be established to objectively resolve service complaints and evaluate the quality of the services; and

11. (k) (k) Satisfactory procedures must be established to:

    1. (1) (1) Maintain files which accurately reflect the individuals receiving telephone reassurance, the persons who are performing the reassurance calls, and the agreed upon calling schedule;
    2. (2) (2) Maintain records describing the current negotiated special or emergency procedures applicable to each individual client receiving the service;
    3. (3) (3) Approve an individual to receive the service;
    4. (4) (4) Resolve coordination difficulties arising between the person receiving the service and the caller;
    5. (5) (5) Provide alternative or substitute callers to cover temporary absences; and

    6. (6)

       1. (A) (6)(A) Discontinue telephone reassurance service to individuals who no longer need the service.
       2. (B) (B) Clients should be reassessed every six (6) months for eligibility for continuation of service, or more often as necessary;

    7. (2)

       1. (A) Eligibility.
       2. (B) Persons age sixty (60) and older who live alone or temporarily alone, or are homebound in isolated areas.

       3. (C)

          1. (i) Special notes. This service is available to individuals sixty (60) years or older, or to the spouse of an individual who is sixty (60) years or older and receiving services through SSBG or Title Ill of the Older Americans Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3021 et seq.
          2. (ii) The service is also available to handicapped/disabled individuals who are dependents of and residing with individuals who are sixty (60) years or older and receiving services through SSBG or Title III.
          3. (iii) In protective services cases, as certified by the Protective Services Unit of the division, any adult will be eligible for services.
          4. (iv) Persons who generally are not eligible for billable telephone reassurance are persons that:
12. (a) (a) Are receiving any other service at or through a senior center where program staff is in touch with them on a regular basis (three (3) or more times a week) because of the service being provided;

13. (b) (b) Lives with a spouse;

    1. (c) (c) Lives with a friend or family member; or

       1. (d) (d) Is not isolated, has family, friends, or neighbors that check on them daily;

    2. (3)

       1. (A) Location of service.
       2. (B) Service is provided to the client at his or her domicile;

    3. (4)

       1. (A) Access to service.
       2. (B) An eligible client may enter the service system at any point through a referral from a case manager or community agency or individual request for service; and

    4. (5)

       1. (A) Recordkeeping.
       2. (B) Each client shall have a client record to indicate an application for service.
       3. (C) A call log chronologically arranged with most current date on top.
       4. (D) An authorization for release of confidential information, where appropriate.

Codification Notes: “SSBG” means Social Services Block Grant.