A.
Definition and
Purpose
Respite care is providing temporary relief time for the
regular or primary caregiver (spouse, child, relative) of an ill, frail,
infirm, functionally impaired older individual or dementia patient who requires
constant in-home care.
The purpose of respite care is to:
1. Prevent, delay, or avoid premature or
unnecessary institutionalization;
2. Prevent abuse;
3. Prevent or reduce physical and emotional
stress on the family;
4. Give
primary caregivers some much needed personal time from the caregiver's
role;
5. Prevent caregiver's
burnout; and,
6. Give the caregiver
an interval of rest from the burden of constant caregiving.
D.
Minimum Program Requirements:
Each service provider of Respite funded by Title III of the
Older Americans Act, SSBG or other funds, through an Area Plan must comply with
the Minimum Program Requirements developed by the Division of Aging and Adult
Services.
* All clients are to be entered into the State Approved
Client Tracking System no later than 10 working days.
1.
Service
Activities
a. The Respite Care
worker must provide one (1) or more of the following primary activities:
feeding, personal care needs, companionship, support or general
supervision.
b. Respite Care is
provided by placing a respite worker in the client's or caregiver's home; or
the client can attend a local senior center or adult day care center.
2.
Location of
Service
Respite services are provided in the client's or caregiver's
home or a local senior center. Institutional Respite is provided by one of the
following:
a. DAAS approved adult day
care center;
b. Licensed board and
care home;
c. Nursing
home;
d. Hospital; and,
e. Trained Respite Care Worker.
3.
Access to
Service
The client may enter the service system at any point through
an appropriate referral.
4.
Delivery Characteristics
a. Each client shall have a client record to
include:
1) Screening/intake
instrument;
2) Client assessment
instrument;
3) Documentation of
services provided, date and time, and name of respite worker providing the
service;
4) A plan of care, if
applicable;
5) Authorization
releases, where appropriate;
6)
Health and medical information;
7)
Referral form, if applicable;
8)
Notice of termination of service, if applicable; and,
9) Confidentiality Agreement form.
b. Respite services may be
available day or night, seven (7) days a week, including holidays.
c. Respite care at a local senior center
shall be provided during the center's hours of operation and the client must
meet the requirements established by the senior center.
d. Institutional respite care at DAAS
approved adult day care centers shall be provided during center's hours of
operation and the client must meet the requirements established by the
center.
e. Institutional respite at
licensed nursing home, licensed board and care or hospital shall be provided 24
hours a day.
f. If respite service
is provided at any location other than the client's home, the client must meet
the requirements established by the licensed facility and the licensed facility
must meet the licensing requirements of the Mississippi state department of
Health.
g. The client shall be
allowed the opportunity to contribute to the cost of the service.
5.
Staffing
a. There
shall be a professional person responsible for the day-to-day operation of the
service.
b. There must be an
adequate number of staff to meet the goals of the program.
c. All Respite staff must have training in
first aid, CPR and the Heimlich Technique prior to being one-on-one with a
client.
d. The respite worker
should:
1) Have past experience in caring for
someone who is ill, disabled and elderly;
2) Have the ability to communicate with
clients with speech impairment; (No formal training is needed to detect a
speech problem);
3) Be competent,
patient, trustworthy and cooperative;
4) Be able to maintain
confidentiality;
5) Have reliable
transportation;
6) Be flexible for
day or night relief; and,
7) Be
emotionally and physically capable to care for persons who have physical and/or
mental limitations.
e.
In-service training is required of all staff and the responsibility of the
sponsoring agency. Training should consist of:
1) Safety education;
2) Elderly abuse detection and
prevention;
3) Emergency
procedures
4)
Confidentiality;
5) First aid,
CPR;
6) Communication
skills;
7) The Aging process;
and
8) Orientation to the Respite
Program (policies and procedures).
6.
Prohibited Service
Activities
The following activities are prohibited by the Respite
Worker:
a. Use of clients'
cars;
b. Consumption of clients'
food or drink;
c. Use of clients'
telephones for any reason other than an emergency or respite related
activities;
d. Discussion of own
personal problems, religious, or political beliefs with clients;
e. Breach of clients'
confidentiality;
f. Acceptance of
gifts or tips;
g. Friends or
relatives of respite worker brought to clients' homes;
h. Consumption of alcoholic beverages in
client's home or consumption of alcoholic beverages prior to or during service
delivery to clients;
i. Smoking in
clients' homes;
j. Solicitation of
money or goods from clients;
k. The
respite worker may choose to eat their own lunch in clients' home if authorized
to do so by the clients;
l. The
respite worker may use the clients' bathroom facilities;
m. Yard maintenance;
n. Pet grooming.;
o. Home repairs; and,
p. Administering medication. (The respite
worker can remind the client to take medicine and assist client by passing to
client the medicine to be taken).
