$1,300,000, i.e., a two percent across-the-board raise to all adult day training service providers in the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services Waiver program. Adult Day Training Providers offer service recipients up to six hours per day of training in the areas of self- help and adaptive social skills. These services are provided through congregate settings, off- site enclaves and mobile work crews. • Senior Hot Meals Programs: The budget appropriates an increase of $2,300,000 for senior meal programs. The meals go to low-income seniors at risk for malnutrition and isolation. The funds will also be used for senior nutritional education and counseling services. • Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs): The budget appropriates $1,300,000 in nonrecurring funds to the 11 ADRCs which assist older adults with information, program eligibility, and intake and assessment under the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long Term Care program. • Community Care for the Elderly (CCE): The budget provides the Community Care for the Elderly (CCE) program an additional $5,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund, of which $1 million is nonrecurring, to serve approximately 751 slots or 8.1% of those waiting to receive services. The CCE program is a non-Medicaid program that provides home-and-community-based services (HCBS) to seniors aged 60+ who may be at risk of nursing home placement. CCE provides services such as adult day care, case management, home delivered meals, and home nursing. • Personal Needs Allowance: For the first time in more than 25 years, the budget includes an increase in the personal needs allowance for nursing home residents, tripling the allocation from $35 to $105 per month. This money is used to pay for haircuts, toiletries, clothing, etc. • Public Guardianship: The budget includes an increase in $3,000,000 from General Revenue to operate the Public Guardianship program on a statewide basis and to allow resources to be allocated to local public guardianship offices. An additional
$750,000 of nonrecurring funds is provided to Lutheran Services Florida which will provide guardianship services to the indigent statewide. • Affordable Housing: The budget appropriates $167,700,000, including $57,700,000 to fund construction or rehabilitation of rental units for older adults, the homeless, and persons with developmental disabilities. The budget also includes $100,000,000 for the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program. SHIP must use a minimum of 20 percent to serve those with special needs. SHIP provides funds to local governments as an incentive to create partnerships that produce and preserve affordable homeownership and multifamily housing. SHIP may use funds for emergency repairs, new construction and rehabilitations. See Voting Record for HB 5001 p. 21; HB 5003 p. 23; HB 5201 p. 25 Health and Supportive Services Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs): In 2011, the Miami Herald published an exposé about abuses occurring in ALFs and about shortcomings in the state regulatory response to such cases. For successive years, the legislative Chambers have been unable to agree on a hybrid bill. CS/CS/SB 248, by Children, Families, and Elder Affairs, FAILED. The companion bill was CS/CS/CS/ HB 573 by Representative Ahern. AARP supported this legislation. • Substantive provisions of the bills were amended onto the engrossed amendment for CS/HB 7105, Health Care Services Rulemaking, by House Rulemaking, Oversight & Repeal Subcommittee and Representative Hutson. That legislation became a “runaway train” overloaded with other legislative proposals. The legislation passed the Senate, but the House refused to concur and the legislation died. • The legislation would have: established heightened consumer protections for those in ALFs; mandated additional training for ALF staff; stiffened fines for licensure violations; and required additional inspections for facilities cited for significant violations. See Voting Record for CS/CS/SB 248, p. 27; CS/CS/CS/HB 573 p. 28; CS/HB 7105 p. 29
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