SB 1377, as amended, Nguyen. Cognitively impaired adults: caregiver resource centers.
Existing law requires the Director of Health Care Services to, among other things, maintain or enter into contracts directly with nonprofit caregiver resource centers (CRCs) to provide direct services to caregivers of cognitively impaired adults, as defined, throughout the state. These services include, but are not limited to, specialized information, family consultation, respite care, short-term counseling, and support groups.
This bill would, each fiscal year, commencing with the 2016-17 fiscal year, appropriate $3,300,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Health Care Services for allocation to CRCs for the purpose of providing those respite care services. The bill would also authorize those services to be providedbegin delete bothend delete in-personbegin delete andend deletebegin insert
and, except for respite care services,end insert through the use of remote technologies.
Vote: 2⁄3. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 4364.5 of the Welfare and Institutions
2Code is amended to read:
(a) The CRCs shall deliver services to and advocate
4for caregivers of cognitively impaired adults, as established in the
5CRC Operations Manual.
6(b) These services shall include, but not be limited to, all of the
7following:
8(1) Specialized information on chronic and disabling conditions
9and diseases, aging, caregiving issues, and community resources.
10(2) Family consultation. Professional staff shall work with
11families and caregivers to provide support, alleviate stress, examine
12options, and enable them to make decisions related to the care of
13cognitively impaired
adults. Clinical staff shall provide an
14assessment of caregiver needs, short- and long-term care planning,
15and ongoing consultation.
16(3) (A) Respite care. The CRCs shall arrange respite care
17services to relieve caregivers of the stress of constant care.
18(B) The sum of three million three hundred thousand dollars
19($3,300,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund each
20fiscal year, commencing with the 2016-17 fiscal year, to the State
21Department of Health Care Services for
allocation to CRCs for
22the purpose of providing respite care services.
23(4) Short-term counseling. The CRCs shall provide up to six
24one-hour individual counseling sessions to caregivers seeking
25emotional support, skill development, and strategies to better cope
26with their caregiving situation.
27(5) Support groups. The CRCs shall offer support groups that
28enable caregivers to share experiences and ideas to ease the stress
29of their caregiving role.
30(6) Legal and financial consultation, including professional legal
31assistance or referrals to professional legal assistance, that can
32help caregivers with a variety of issues, including estate planning,
33trusts, wills, conservatorships, and durable powers of
attorney.
34(7) Education and training. The CRCs shall organize and conduct
35education for groups of caregivers and community professionals
36on a variety of topics related to caregiving.
P3 1(c) The amount of each of the services specified in subdivision
2(b) that are provided shall be determined by local needs and
3available resources.
4(d) CRC services may be providedbegin delete bothend delete in-personbegin delete andend deletebegin insert and,
5except for respite care services,end insert through the use of remote
6technologies, including, but not limited
to, web-based services,
7mobile applications, and telephone messaging services, in order
8to advance consumer choice in service delivery and to expand
9service in rural areas.
10(e) Persons receiving services pursuant to this chapter may be
11required to contribute to the cost of services depending upon their
12ability to pay, but not to exceed the actual cost thereof.
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