NEW JERSEY
New Jersey expanded opportunities for in-home and community living for people with disabilities in 2002 by increasing assisted living availability and restructuring services for people with developmental disabilities to generate additional funds for such services. The Legislature addressed the issue of information for consumers about the home care workers they employ.
Assisted Living
The state received waivers from the federal government to use Medicaid funding to pay for slots for low-income senior citizens and people with disabilities in assisted living. In January 2002, all 1,500 approved waiver slots for assisted living were filled. Increased state funding of $2.9 million then created an additional 375 assisted living slots, and by the end of the year, 1,875 elderly and disabled people were living in assisted living facilities.
Developmental Disabilities
New Jersey also began a program in 2002 to make broad changes to the state's system of services for people with developmental disabilities. The goal is to shift the state's focus away from developing group homes for this population to providing more in-home services. The state proposed to maximize revenues that could be reinvested in expanded services by:
- Requiring a determination of Medicaid eligibility prior to services being delivered. The state had not been requiring people to be Medicaid eligible prior to receiving services, and therefore was able to claim only 33 percent of the available 50 percent of federal reimbursement. With the change, 50 percent of the cost would be reimbursed from federal funds.
- Applying for an enhanced Community Care Waiver to encompass services to families living at home, including personal care, respite care and assistive devices. Since those services were previously 100 percent funded by the state, New Jersey expected to receive $35 million from a 50 percent match from the federal government.
- Seeking a higher percentage of individual Supplemental Security Income (SSI) contributions for residential services provided the state to more closely match the national average. New Jersey takes 47 percent of an individual's SSI payment toward the cost of care in a residential placement, compared to other states that require 72 percent to 88 percent. The increase could generate an additional $5 million to $10 million annually.
The FY 2003 budget provided $27 million in new funding to improve services to individuals in the state's seven development centers. Increased funding led to the hiring of 750 additional direct care staff for the centers and increased placement of center residents into community homes.
Work Force
The Legislature passed a bill requiring home health agencies and home care service firms to provide patients with information about their employees' background and training in advance of or at the time of their initial visit. Whenever caring for a patient, home health care workers must wear identification tags containing their name and title and, eventually, a photograph. The law also requires that patients receive a copy of the most current edition of the Consumer Guide to Homemaker-Home Health Aides published by the New Jersey Board of Nursing.
Planning and Reports
The Governor's Office of Policy and Planning convened an Olmstead Stakeholders' Task Force, which was to set forth proposals to guide the state's action during the next five years. Key issues facing the group included 1) identifying ways to move beyond the group home model that is central in developmental disabilities services, and 2) developing strategies to prepare individuals and their families for community placement.
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