One unit equals one hour of Companion Service.  

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:  

A.        Grantees are required to meet all standards and requirements established in Title III, Part B, of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as amended.  

COMPANION ACTIVITIES:  

1.        Companion activities include specified personal services, home management, transportation, nutrition-related tasks, social and recreational activities, respite care and information and advocacy. (See Appendix B)

SPECIFICATIONS:  

1.         Service Prohibitions:

1.1       Staff shall not accept tips, gifts, fees, loans or anything of value from clients. 

            1.2       Staff shall not smoke in client homes. 

            1.3       Staff shall not purchase alcohol or illegal substances for clients. 

1.4       Staff shall not borrow a car or other personal belongings from the client or other persons related to the client. 

1.5       Staff shall not bring family members or other persons or pets to client homes without supervisory approval and client’s permission. 

1.6       Staff shall not provide hands-on personal care, i.e. bathing, ambulating, or transfer assistance. 

2.         Safety:

2.1       The grantee shall not assign companions to work in unsafe or unsanitary conditions. 

2.2       Prior to providing services, companions are required to have a fingerprint search conducted by the Nevada Highway Patrol Criminal Information Services. The search shall include a review of the records contained in the Nevada Criminal History Repository. 

2.3       The program shall maintain on file a copy of the current driver’s license and proof of vehicle insurance for companions who use their personal vehicle to transport clients. 

3.         Operating Procedures:

3.1       A waiting list is to be established only after all other measures for improving the efficiency of the service delivery system have been examined and, when feasible, implemented. Grantees are required to establish a waiting list policy that will be activated in the event that the demand for service exceeds the program’s capacity. Waiting list documentation must include, at a minimum, the client’s name, address, and telephone number, the date the client was placed on the waiting list and a description of each client’s need for service. 

Clients with the greatest need are to receive priority consideration. The program must establish a procedure for updating the continued service needs of clients placed on the waiting list. 

3.2       The program must establish a process for resolving complaints from volunteers, volunteer sites, or clients. 

            The complaint process must ensure that complaints are submitted in writing, investigated and documented by the program, handled in an impartial manner, and resolved within 30 days. An appeal process must also be established. Assistance must be provided to any person who needs help in preparing a written complaint. 

3.3         The grantee must provide the Division for Aging Services with a copy of all program evaluations or other documents completed by the Corporation for National Service. 

4.         Assessment/Re-certification:

4.1       Client assessment:  A client assessment must be completed prior to the start of service. The assessment must document the condition of the client based on the assessment criteria contained in Appendix A. To avoid duplication, programs are encouraged to enter cooperative agreements for sharing information when a client has had an assessment completed by a social worker or case manager under another program. 

4.2       Service Plan:  Establish a service plan based on a priority of criteria shown in Appendix A to include Companion visitation schedule and responsibilities, including signatures of the Companion and client. A copy of the service plan must be provided to each client or client’s family. 

4.3       Client Re-assessment:  All clients must be re-assessed no less than once every 12 months based on the assessment criteria noted in Service Specification 4.1. A new service plan must be developed as a result of the reassessment. To avoid duplication, programs are encouraged to enter a cooperative agreement for sharing information when a client has had an assessment or a reassessment completed by a social worker or case manager working under another program. 

5.         Documentation Requirements:

5.1       Grantees must maintain Companion files in accordance with the requirements established by the Corporation for National Service. In addition, the grantee must document the services performed by the volunteers, including time spent during each visit. Service Verification Forms must be signed by the client or the caregiver and by the Senior Companion at the conclusion of each visit. 

6.         Quality Improvement:

6.1       The program shall establish an annual method to determine consumer satisfaction with service through questionnaires or some other means. The results of the quality improvement review must document any program deficiencies and contain a plan of correction.

APPENDIX A

 CLIENT ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 

The client assessment must document the condition of the client in the following areas: 

A.        DESCRIPTION OF CLIENT MEDICAL/PHYSICAL CONDITION 

            1.         Diagnosis (if known)

            2.         Recent hospitalizations/reason;

            3.         Physical condition of client:  areas of the body impaired, severity of impairments; and

4.         Assistive devices used by client in performing Activities of Daily Living, i.e., wheelchair, oxygen. 

B.        ANALYSIS OF CLIENT PHYSICAL STATUS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS 

            1.         Ambulating;

            2.         Vision;

            3.         Hearing; and

            4.         Ability to go outside the home without assistance. 

C.        ANALYSIS OF CLIENT SUPPORT SYSTEM 

            1.         Number of persons in household and their relationship to the client; and

            2.         Other friends/social contacts. 

D.        ANALYSIS OF HOME ENVIRONMENT 

            1.         Number/type of pets; and

            2.         Unsafe conditions. 

E.       ANALYSIS OF AVAILABLE TRANSPORTATION OPPORTUNITIES AND ABILITIES

1.         Family members, friends, neighbors

2.         Local and public transportation

3.         Logisticare for Medicaid recipients, including those on CHIP

4.         Transportation service eligibility associated with a specific diagnosis

5.         Taxi vouchers/coupons

6.         Ability of client to use transportation independently or must have escort assistance
 

APPENDIX B

COMPANION ACTIVITIES 

The following activities are to be provided as approved in the service plan: 

A.        PERSONAL SERVICE        

            1.         Providing oversight for personal care activities:  bathing, ambulating, dressing, grooming, feeding, etc;

2.         Accompanying and/or provide transportation for client to attend medical appointments or medical treatments

3.         Providing grief support;

4.         Assisting in reality orientation/awareness. 

B.        NUTRITION 

            1.         Preparing food, assisting with meal planning, grocery shopping, labeling and organizing food; and

2.         Accompanying client to a nutrition site. 

C.        SOCIAL/RECREATION 

            1.         Providing companionship, such as talking, listening, cheering up, playing games or cards;

2.         Fostering client contact with family and friends (when feasible); and

3.         Accompanying or transporting a client to a recreational or social event. 

D.        HOME MANAGEMENT 

            1.         Shopping for client, and/or providing transportation to shop and do errands;

            2.         Writing letters, reading, filling out forms; and

            3.         Doing light housekeeping. 

E.        INFORMATION AND ADVOCACY 

1.         Providing information about community services;

2.         Helping clients receive a needed service, i.e., food stamps, SSI, Medicaid,

3.         Bringing unmet needs to the attention of supervisory staff and other care providers.           

F.         RESPITE CARE 

            1.         Providing supervision of home-bound clients to relieve primary caregivers.