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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 931
January Session, 2023
LCO No. 3450
Referred to Committee on AGING
Introduced by:
(AGE)
AN ACT EXPANDING ACCESS TO THE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
RESPITE CARE PROGRAM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17a-860 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 2
(a) As used in this section: 3
(1) "Respite care services" means support services which provide 4
short-term relief from the demands of ongoing care for an individual 5
with Alzheimer's disease. 6
(2) "Caretaker" means a person who has the responsibility for the 7
care of an individual with Alzheimer's disease or has assumed the 8
responsibility for such individual voluntarily, by contract or by order 9
of a court of competent jurisdiction. 10
(3) "Copayment" means a payment made by or on behalf of an 11
individual with Alzheimer's disease for respite care services. 12
(4) "Individual with Alzheimer's disease" means an individual with 13 Bill No. 931
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Alzheimer's disease or related disorders. 14
(b) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall operate 15
a program [, within available appropriations,] to provide respite care 16
services for caretakers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease, 17
provided such individuals with Alzheimer's disease meet the 18
requirements set forth in subsection (c) of this section. Such respite 19
care services may include, but need not be limited to: (1) [homemaker] 20
Homemaker services; (2) adult day care; (3) temporary care in a 21
licensed medical facility; (4) home-health care; (5) companion services; 22
or (6) personal care assistant services. Such respite care services may be 23
administered directly by the Department of Aging and Disability 24
Services, or through contracts for services with providers of such 25
services, or by means of direct subsidy to caretakers of individuals 26
with Alzheimer's disease to purchase such services. 27
(c) (1) No individual with Alzheimer's disease may participate in the 28
program if such individual (A) has an annual income of more than 29
[forty-one] seventy thousand dollars or liquid assets of more than one 30
hundred [nine] seventy-nine thousand dollars, or (B) is receiving 31
services under the Connecticut home-care program for the elderly. [On 32
July 1, 2009, and annually thereafter, the] The commissioner shall 33
increase such income and asset eligibility criteria over that of the 34
previous fiscal year to reflect the annual cost of living adjustment in 35
Social Security income, if any. 36
(2) No individual with Alzheimer's disease who participates in the 37
program may receive more than three thousand five hundred dollars 38
for services under the program in any fiscal year or receive more than 39
thirty days of out-of-home respite care services other than adult day 40
care services under the program in any fiscal year, except that the 41
commissioner shall adopt regulations pursuant to subsection (d) of this 42
section to provide up to seven thousand five hundred dollars for 43
services to a participant in the program who demonstrates a need for 44
additional services. 45 Bill No. 931
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(3) The commissioner may require an individual with Alzheimer's 46
disease who participates in the program to pay a copayment for respite 47
care services under the program, except the commissioner may waive 48
such copayment upon demonstration of financial hardship by such 49
individual. 50
(d) The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the 51
provisions of chapter 54 to implement the provisions of this section. 52
Such regulations shall include, but need not be limited to: (1) 53
[standards] Standards for eligibility for respite care services; (2) the 54
basis for priority in receiving services; (3) qualifications and 55
requirements of providers, which shall include specialized training in 56
Alzheimer's disease, dementia and related disorders; (4) a requirement 57
that providers accredited by the Joint Commission on the 58
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, when available, receive 59
preference in contracting for services; (5) provider reimbursement 60
levels; (6) limits on services and cost of services; and (7) a fee schedule 61
for copayments. 62
(e) The commissioner may allocate any funds appropriated in excess 63
of five hundred thousand dollars for the program among the five area 64
agencies on aging according to need, as determined by the 65
commissioner. 66
Sec. 2. Subsection (g) of section 17a-780 of the general statutes is 67
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 68
1, 2023): 69
(g) The Department of Aging and Disability Services is designated 70
as the State Unit on Aging to administer, manage, design and advocate 71
for benefits, programs and services for older persons and their families 72
pursuant to the Older Americans Act. The department shall study 73
continuously the conditions and needs of older persons in this state in 74
relation to nutrition, transportation, home care, housing, income, 75
employment, health, recreation and other matters. The department 76
shall be responsible, in cooperation with federal, state, local and area 77 Bill No. 931
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planning agencies on aging, for the overall planning, development and 78
administration of a comprehensive and integrated social service 79
delivery system for older persons. The Department of Aging and 80
Disability Services is designated as the state agency for the 81
administration of nutritional programs for elderly persons described in 82
section 17a-852, the fall prevention program described in section 17a-83
859, the CHOICES program described in section 17a-857, the Aging 84
and Disability Resource Center Program described in section 17a-858 85
and the Alzheimer's [respite] disease respite care program described in 86
section [17b-860] 17a-860, as amended by this act. 87
Sec. 3. (Effective July 1, 2023) (a) The sum of one million dollars is 88
appropriated to the Department of Aging and Disability Services from 89
the General Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, to expand 90
access to the Alzheimer's disease respite care program. 91
(b) The sum of one million dollars is appropriated to the 92
Department of Aging and Disability Services from the General Fund, 93
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, to expand access to the 94
Alzheimer's disease respite care program. 95
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2023 17a-860
Sec. 2 July 1, 2023 17a-780(g)
Sec. 3 July 1, 2023 New section
AGE Joint Favorable