Section 21.2. Definitions

The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

AAA (Area Agency on Aging)—The governing authority designated by the Department within each planning and service area to develop and administer an area plan, or the person, agency or organization which is the subcontractor of the AAA.

Applicant—A person who applies for domiciliary care service or the domiciliary care supplement, either personally or through a responsible adult.

Assessment—A determination based upon a comprehensive review of an applicant’s social, physical and psychological status along with a description of the applicant’s current resources and needs.

CAO (County Assistance Office)—An office located in each county of this Commonwealth which is responsible for local administration of the programs under the Department of Public Welfare.

Case record—The file maintained on each applicant and client to include pertinent information gathered in assessing need and developing a care plan. The term includes information regarding social supports, activities of daily living, nutrition, physical health and environment, mental and economic status and recent experiences. The term also includes tangential action taken for, or on behalf of, an applicant or client, including, but not limited to, activities done with, for or on behalf of a client, such as contacts with formal and informal service providers, and the like.

Client—A resident of this Commonwealth who is 18 years of age or older who has applied for, and has been determined to be eligible for, domiciliary care service or the domiciliary care supplement.

Communicable disease—An illness due to a specific infectious agent or its toxic products which arises through transmission of that agent or its products from an infected person to a susceptible host, either directly or indirectly through an intermediate plant or animal host, or the inanimate environment.

Department—The Department of Aging of the Commonwealth.

Designate—A person chosen by the applicant or client in writing to be notified in case of emergency, termination of services, home closure or other situations indicated by the applicant or client.

Domiciliary care home or dom care home—A premises certified by an AAA for the purpose of providing a supervised living arrangement in a homelike setting for a period exceeding 24 consecutive hours to clients placed there by the AAA.

Domiciliary care provider service—Services, activities and basic items furnished by the provider to the client.

Domiciliary care service or domiciliary care—Services and activities performed by the AAA which are necessary to seek out, assess and determine the eligibility of applicants and prospective providers, to certify domiciliary care homes, and to arrange for, oversee and follow-up on the following:

(i) The placement of clients into domiciliary care homes.

(ii) The receipt of the domiciliary care supplement by clients.

Domiciliary care supplement—The monthly monetary supplement to the income of a client who has been placed into a domiciliary care home. The supplement is provided by the Commonwealth under 55 Pa. Code Chapter 299 (relating to supplemental security income program and State supplementary payment program).

Exit—A door on the exit path which opens directly to the outside of the building or structure.

Exit path—A continuous, unobstructed, unrestricted and safe way of travel from any point in the home to a safe area of refuge outside the building or structure.

Full assistance—A client who needs to be led or carried from the building or needs help to get into a wheelchair and needs to be wheeled out of the building or needs help getting into another device and needs helps evacuating the building and is unable to follow verbal or signed prompts.

Independently mobile—An individual who is physically and mentally capable of vacating the home without the assistance of another person in the case of an emergency. The term includes a person capable of ascending or descending stairs unassisted, if necessary, to vacate the home in which the person is residing.

Joint certification—Certification of a domiciliary care home by an AAA in conjunction with another certifying or licensing agency of the Commonwealth to provide residential care services to domiciliary care clients and clients of other agencies in the same home or facility.

Minimal physical assistance—Assistance in getting to one’s feet, into a wheelchair, walker or prosthetic device.

Nonmobile—A client who is physically or mentally unable to vacate the building without the continued full assistance of another person.

PSA (Planning and Service Area)—A geographic area within this Commonwealth, authorized by the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C.A. § § 3001—3057g) and designated by the Department for the purposes of planning, development, delivery and administration of aging and social services by an AAA.

Prospective domiciliary care home or prospective home—A residence in the process of being certified by an AAA as a domiciliary care home.

Prospective provider—A person who applies to the AAA to be a provider and is in the process of being determined eligible as a provider.

Provider—A person 21 years of age and older determined eligible by an AAA to have responsibility for the day-to-day operation of a domiciliary care home.

Relative—A person related to the client by consanguinity, affinity or adoption.

SSI (Supplemental Security Income)—Monthly income maintenance provided to aged, blind or disabled individuals through Title XVI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.A. § § 1381—1382j).

Semimobile—A client who is able to vacate the home with no more than verbal or minimal physical assistance. To be considered semimobile, a person shall be able to effectively operate a device required for moving from one place to another, be able to understand and carry out instructions for vacating the home and be able to ascend or descend stairs if present on the exit path. The term does not include a person who by reason of physical or mental disability or condition is unable to vacate the home in case of emergency without the continual physical assistance of another.

Service management—The process through which AAAs meet their mandate to secure needed services for older people. This process includes the following activities: comprehensive needs assessment to include nutrition assessment; development of a written service plan; arrangement, coordination and follow-up of service delivery; reassessment; and ongoing case recording.

Social Security district office—An office in this Commonwealth which has been designated to administer various programs under the Social Security Act, including SSI, in an assigned geographic area.

Staff person—An adult who is employed by a provider or who volunteers to furnish services to the clients in a domiciliary care home.

State supplement—The monthly monetary supplement to persons receiving SSI in this Commonwealth. The State supplement is provided by the Commonwealth under 55 Pa. Code Chapter 299 (relating to supplemental security income program and State supplementary payment program).

Subcontractor—A person, agency or organization which has a written, legally-binding agreement or contract with the AAA to perform services and activities necessary to seek out, assess and determine the eligibility of applicants and prospective providers, to certify domiciliary care homes, and to arrange for, oversee and follow-up on, the placement of clients in domiciliary care homes and the receipt of the domiciliary care supplement by clients. The agreement or contract shall meet the contracting standards of the Department as promulgated in the applicable program directive.

Unusual incident—An occurrence which threatens the health and safety of a client. The term includes fires, structural damage to the home, crimes, serious injuries, missing persons, highly contagious diseases, food poisoning, interruptions in utility services which may affect the health and safety of a client, neglect, mistreatment, physical or mental abuse, behavior by a client which constitutes a danger to that client or others, the death of the client, a request by the client for immediate removal or relocation from the domiciliary care home, or the relocation of the domiciliary care home.

Verbal assistance—Giving instructions to assist the client in vacating the home.