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STATE OF NEVADA OLDER
AMERICANS ACT GENERAL
REQUIREMENTS Any
exception to these Service Specifications must be requested in advance in
writing and approved by the Deputy Administrator. PURPOSE: The Division for Aging Services (DAS) has been authorized
under the Older Americans Act (OAA) to award grant funds to governmental,
private and non-profit agencies for the purpose of providing services to
individuals 60 years of age and older or as age is established under Title IIIC.
To promote quality of service, DAS has established service specifications that
contain the administrative and operating procedures for funded services. DAS
will use the service specifications as the basis for assessing program
performance. The service specifications that each grantee must follow consist of
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS and the SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS established for each funded
service. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: A.
Grantees are required to meet all standards and requirements established
in the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000 and subsequent Regulations. B.
Pursuant to Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 200.5091 - 200.5099 all
grantees must report suspicion of elder abuse, neglect, isolation and
exploitation. C.
Pursuant to NRS 202.2491(1)(c)(1) all grantees must comply with state law
regarding smoking in public places. D.
Grantees must comply with fiscal management policies issued by the
Division for Aging Services in the most current
“Program Instructions - Nevada (PINs).” E.
Nutrition programs will establish outreach activities that assure the
maximum number of eligible individuals have the opportunity to participate.
Nutrition programs will be established and administered with the advice of older
individuals who participate in the program. It is the Division’s policy that
the wishes of individuals participating in the OAA social service programs also
be considered, whenever feasible. SPECIFICATIONS: 1.
Eligibility: 1.1
Persons served with OAA funds
must be 60 years of age or older, except for Title III-C Nutrition programs as
noted below in 1.2 and 1.3. 1.2
Persons served with Title IIIC Congregate Meal Nutrition grant funds must
be: 1.2.a
Sixty (60) years of age or older; 1.2.b
a spouse of an individual who is 60 years of age or older; 1.2.c
a person with a disability who resides with an individual who is 60 years
of age; 1.2.d
a person with a disability living in a housing project where a meal site
has been established; 1.2.e a volunteer of any age who provides a service considered to be essential to the program; or 1.2.f
staff 60 years of age or older employed by the nutrition program. 1.3
Persons served a Title IIIC Home Delivered Meal must be unable to attend
a congregate meal site due to illness, incapacitation or disability, or the
spouse of an eligible home delivered meal recipient. 1.4 Grantees are required to target services to minority, low-income, rural and frail seniors. Particular emphasis must be placed on targeting low-income, minority seniors and older individuals residing in rural areas. The Targeting Plan contained in the approved grant application must be implemented. Documentation of the Targeting Plan activities and any other targeting activities provided during the grant year shall include: (1) copies of publicity and outreach material distributed, including location and dates of distribution; (2) dates of outreach contacts, including name of agency contacted, name and title of contact, and brief description of the outcome of the contact; (3) dates of special events and purpose; (4) a brief narrative updating targeting projects that involve multiple steps; and (5) other documentation necessary to demonstrate that the Targeting Plan has been implemented. 2.
Documentation Requirements: 2.1
Grantees are required to meet the program reporting requirements established by
the Administration on Aging under the National Aging Program Information System
(NAPIS). Grantees are required to use the Client Registration Software developed
by the Division for Aging Services (DAS) to register clients and submit
financial and program reporting data to DAS. Quarterly reports are due by the
15th of the month following the end of each quarter. 2.2
Grantees are required to submit a written copy of the following procedures to
DAS at the time of each program assessment, whenever a revision is made to a
policy/procedure, or at the request of DAS 2.2.a Client Donation Procedures 2.2.b Advocacy, Information and Assistance 2.2.c Grievance Procedures 2.2.d Suspension/termination Procedures 2.2.e Emergency Procedures 2.2.f
Vehicle Accident Procedures, if applicable 3.
Operating Procedures: 3.1
Client Cost Sharing and Donation Procedures: 3.1.a
Cost sharing with specific safeguards will be allowed for limited supportive
services, however, cost sharing will not be allowed for information and
assistance, outreach, benefits counseling, case management, legal assistance,
congregate and home-delivered meals, services provided by tribal organizations
or services to low-income individuals. 3.1.b
The opportunity to make confidential voluntary, non-coercive contributions is
required. Means testing and denial of service based on non-contribution are
prohibited. 3.1.c
Establish procedures to protect the privacy of individuals regarding their
contributions. 3.1.d
A suggested donation amount shall be established for services provided by the
grantee. A participant may be required to participate in paying for services
based on a specific program's fee schedule. Fee schedules must be submitted to
the Division for Aging Services for review and approval prior to implementation.
PIN 30 3.2
Information and Referral Procedures: 3.2.a
Grantees are required to establish, acquire or develop, and utilize a
comprehensive list of resources available to seniors within their service
area. 3.2.b
Any client who needs or requests assistance in completing a referral
shall be provided an appropriate level of assistance. 3.3
Client Grievance Procedure: 3.3.a A formal grievance procedure must be established for occasions when the client is not satisfied with efforts made by the program to resolve their concerns. The formal procedure must clearly define the steps that the program will take to resolve formal complaints. The procedures must: (1) specify that complaints are to be submitted in writing (2) provide for an impartial review (3) ensure that complaints are acted on in an expeditious manner (4)
stipulate that assistance will be available to clients who require help
in preparing a written complaint. 3.3.b Grantees that contract with other agencies for the provision of services must establish a procedure to ensure that client complaints are directed to the grantee agency. A complaint tracking system must be maintained to include: (1) date of complaint; (2) client name, address, and telephone number; (3) client’s perception of the problem; (4) date of follow-up with the contractor; and (5)
action taken to resolve the complaint. 3.4
Procedure for Suspension or Termination of Clients from Service: 3.4.a Grantees are required to establish a written procedure that defines the steps that will be taken to suspend or terminate clients from service. Grantees are advised to note that the suspension/ termination of a client from a federally funded program without just cause represents a violation of the client’s civil rights. A suspension or termination is to be undertaken only after all other reasonable measures for resolving the concern have been exhausted. The procedure must contain the following provisions: (1) description of behaviors that are considered grounds for suspension or termination, if circumstances allow (2) documentation of the incident (3)
procedure for warning the client prior to suspension (4) written notification of suspension/ termination provided to the client (5)
client appeal process. Whenever feasible, clients are to be placed on
temporary suspension. 3.5
Emergency Procedures: 3.5.a
Grantees are required to develop written procedures for staff to follow
in addressing client medical emergencies. The procedures must address the basic
steps staff members need to take in responding to an actual or potential
emergency. Programs providing services in the homes of clients should also
develop procedures when clients do not answer the door or cannot be located
during a scheduled visit. 3.5.b When services are provided in a facility, grantees are required to develop written emergency procedures for fire, flood, earthquake, bomb threat, physical assault/threat and other natural and technological disasters that might require emergency response and/or evacuation of the facility. 4.
Training: 4.1
Elder Abuse Awareness: 4.1.a
Persons providing direct service to seniors shall be provided with an
annual in-service training on recognizing the signs of elder abuse and the
Nevada Elder Abuse Law (NRS 200.5092 - 200.5099). Documentation must include:
date of training; name, title and agency of presenter; and signatures of
staff in attendance. 5.
Quality Improvement: 5.1
Sub-Contractor performance Review: 5.1.a
Grantees that contract with other agencies for the delivery of service must
develop standardized criteria to evaluate the performance of the contractor.
Performance evaluations must be conducted and documented annually. 6.
Special Compliance Requirements: 6.1
Confidentiality: 6.1.a
In accordance with OAA 2000 Regulations, grantees must obtain a client’s
informed consent prior to disclosing information about the client to other
programs. The
regulations stipulate that a client’s informed consent is not required for
program and fiscal monitoring conducted by the Division for Aging Services. Additionally,
PIN 2 of the Division for Aging Program instructions – Nevada - states the
ability to evaluate the grant will not be denied or hindered.
This includes access to any document or record that is pertinent to
administering the program. This
also includes the right to interview participants/clients, grantee personnel and
program staff, in accordance with confidentiality.
Providers of legal assistance are
not required to reveal any information to DAS that is protected by attorney
client privilege. 6.1.b
Grantees must establish procedures to limit access to client records to
appropriate staff and ensure that client records are stored in a secure
manner. 6.2
Service Prohibitions: 6.2.1
Staff shall not accept tips, gifts, loans, or fees from clients. 6.2.2
Staff shall not smoke in client homes or while transporting
clients. 6.2.3
Staff shall not purchase alcohol or illegal substances for clients. 6.2.4
Staff shall not borrow the client’s car or other personal
belongings. 6.2.5
Staff shall not bring family members, other people or pets to the client’s
home without client’s permission and supervisory approval. 6.2.6 Staff shall not eat the client’s food.
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