26:2M-12 Qualifications for grant recipients.

4. a. In order to be eligible to receive a grant from the department pursuant to section 3 of this act, an applicant shall apply in a manner which the commissioner shall prescribe and shall possess all of the following qualifications:

(1) The applicant shall be able to identify the special care needs or behavioral problems of participants, and the applicant's program shall be designed to meet those needs.

(2) The applicant shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the department that the applicant's program has adequate and appropriate staffing to meet the nursing, psychosocial and recreational needs of participants.

(3) The applicant shall provide an outline of the design of the applicant's physical facilities, and of the safeguards which shall be used to protect the participants' safety.

(4) The applicant shall submit a plan for assisting individuals who cannot afford the entire cost of the program. This may include, but need not be limited to, utilizing additional funding sources to provide supplemental aid and allowing family members to serve as volunteers at the applicant's facility.

(5) The applicant shall identify potential sources of funding for the applicant's facility and shall outline plans to seek additional funding to remain solvent. This may include private donations and foundation grants, Medicare reimbursement for specific services, and the use of adult education and public health services.

(6) The department shall establish a sliding fee scale for payments by participants based on the participant's ability to pay.

b. Each grantee shall also satisfy all of the following requirements:

(1) Establish family support groups;

(2) Encourage family members to provide transportation for participants to and from the applicant's facility;

(3) Concentrate on participants in moderate to severe ranges of disability;

(4) Provide appropriate nutrition to participants, which the grantee may arrange to have provided by an organization organized for the purpose of providing meals to the elderly or to those who are needy;

(5) Establish contact with local educational programs, including nursing and other disciplines offering gerontology programs, to provide on-site training to students; and

(6) Provide services to assist family members, including counseling and referral to other resources.

L.1988,c.114,s.4; amended 1999, c.285, s.2.