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STATE OF NEVADA
Aging and Disability Services Division  

SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS

VOLUNTEER CARE
(Revised 5/12, Ends 6/30/13)

This Specification has been revised for the FY14-15 Competitive Grant Cycle. Click here for the new Specification.
 

Any exception to these Service Specifications must be requested in advance, in writing, and approved by the Deputy Administrator.  

PURPOSE:   

To promote quality of service, the Aging and Disability Services Division (ADSD) has established service specifications that contain general guidelines. ADSD will use these service specifications as the basis for assessing program performance. The service specifications that each grantee must follow consist of GENERAL REQUIREMENTS, according to the funding source, and SERVICE-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS established for each funded service.

SERVICE DEFINITION:  

This program provides volunteer supportive and assistive services to seniors 60 years of age and older in their own homes to help maintain their independence. Individuals needing services are typically alone and frail, chronically ill, homebound, and/or dependent on a primary caregiver. 

SERVICE CATEGORIES AND UNIT MEASURES:  

The following service categories and unit measures established by the Administration on Aging (AoA) must be used to document the amount of service provided: 

Volunteer Care: Provision of services by a trained volunteer according to a service plan developed jointly between the program and the client or his/her caregiver. 

One unit equals one hour of volunteer care service performed.

SPECIFICATIONS                 

1.       Required Services: 

1.1           The program shall develop an individualized service plan for clients that includes one or more of the following categories: Personal Care; Meal Service; Home Management and Environment; Escort/Transportation; Information, Assistance and Advocacy; Respite Care; and Food/Household Products Distribution. See Appendix B for the tasks and activities within these categories. 

2.       Service Prohibitions: 

2.1           In addition to the service prohibitions listed in the General Requirements, volunteers shall not provide hands-on personal care (i.e., bathing, ambulating, transferring, etc.). 

3.       Assessment/Reassessment: 

3.1           Client Assessment: A client assessment shall 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. 

3.2           Service Plan: A service plan shall be established based on the needs identified in the assessment. A signed copy of the service plan shall be provided to the client and caregiver. A new service plan shall be established whenever there are substantial changes to the client and/or caregiver’s situation and a copy of the new plan must be provided to the client and caregiver. 

3.3           Client Reassessment: All clients shall be reassessed no less than once every 12 months based on the assessment criteria contained in Appendix A. A new service plan shall 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. 

4.       Volunteer Care Provider Documentation Requirements: 

4.1           Each potential volunteer shall complete an application prior to providing service, which lists at least two references to be contacted by the volunteer coordinator. After review and verification of application information, it shall be placed in the volunteer’s file. 

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

4.3           In addition to the assessment documentation outlined under Section 3, a log of visit reports shall be kept indicating: service(s) provided; time spent for each visit; observations of change, if appropriate; and miles traveled. 

5.       Operating Procedures: 

5.1           The program shall purchase volunteer insurance coverage that includes, at a minimum, the following: 

5.1.1     Personal Liability with a $1,000,000 limit;

5.1.2     Accident Insurance Protection with a $25,000 limit; and

5.1.3     Excess Automobile Liability with a $500,000 limit per accident. 

5.2           There shall be a separate operating board (trustees, directors, or advisory) with bylaws, policies, program financial accounting, and reporting procedures. 

6.       Training: 

6.1     Establish and implement a training program for volunteers who escort and/or transport clients, to include: (1) emergency procedures, (2) safe driving techniques, and (3) passenger assistance. Documentation of all training must include: date of training/type of training; name, title and agency of presenter; name of drivers receiving training; and description of training. 

6.2     Plan and implement a pre-service orientation for volunteers who provide respite care that, at minimum, includes the role and limitation of respite care services, safety in the client’s home, and interacting with the client’s caregiver/family. 

6.3     Plan and implement pre-service training on topics related to personal care; meal service; home management and environment; information, assistance and advocacy; and food/household products distribution for volunteers who will be working in these service categories. 

6.4     All pre-service orientations must also include coverage of the following topics: client confidentiality; awareness of elder abuse, exploitation, neglect, and self-neglect; overview of common diseases, conditions and behavioral differences within the senior population; organizational policies such as fingerprinting, volunteer insurance, reporting volunteer hours and volunteer prohibitions; and emergency procedures. All volunteers are to be instructed in how to observe and report changes in clients and their environments over time. 

6.5     Volunteer coordinators shall give in-service training to volunteers at least quarterly and shall provide information requested by volunteers in a timely manner. Topics of in-service training must be related to the tasks/activities performed by the volunteers. It is the responsibility of the supervising agency to ensure that volunteers assigned to various activities continue to be able to effectively perform the expected and required tasks in their clients’ service plans. 

7.       Quality Assurance: 

7.1           A follow-up phone call shall be made within the first month after service begins to assure that the services provided meet current needs. 

7.2           Quality assurance shall be conducted during the reassessment visit (in-home or telephone call). This shall be conducted every 12 months or more frequently to determine:   

·       the adequacy and appropriateness of services in relation to needs;

·       client satisfaction;

·       changes in client status;

·       necessary amendments to service plan; and

·       necessity for referral(s), if appropriate.

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. Diagnoses (if known);

2. Recent institutionalizations/reason;

3. Physical condition of client including, but not limited to impaired areas of the body and severity of impairments;

4. Mental status, including, but not limited to level of functioning, mental confusion and depression; and

5. Assistive devices used by client in performing Activities of Daily Living, (e.g., wheelchair, oxygen, etc.). 

B.  ANALYSIS OF CLIENT PHYSICAL STATUS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS

1. Ambulation;

2. Ability to stand;

3. Vision acuity;

4. Ability to grasp, bend, reach, lift;

5. Ability to transfer;

6. Hearing; and

7. Ability to go outside the home without assistance.

C.  ANALYSIS OF CLIENT SUPPORT SYSTEM

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

2. Friends and/or social contacts.

D.  ANALYSIS OF HOME ENVIRONMENT

1. General appearance;

2. Hazards/unsafe conditions; and

3. Number/type of pets.

E.  PREFERRED HOBBIES/RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

APPENDIX B
VOLUNTEER TASKS AND ACTIVITIES

The following activities may be part of an approved service plan: 

A.  PERSONAL CARE

1. Standby assistance with personal care activities: bathing, ambulating, dressing, grooming and related activities. No hands-on personal care will be provided, because this requires a licensed personal care provider;

2. Provision of grief support; and

3. Assistance in reality orientation/awareness.

B.  MEAL SERVICE

1. Assistance with planning and preparation of meals, grocery shopping;

2. Sitting at table with client and cleaning up afterwards; and

3. Accompanying client to a nutrition site.

C.  HOME MANAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENT

1. Writing letters, reading, assisting with correspondence;

2. Assistance with pet(s) (e.g., accompanying to veterinarian visits);

3. Performing light chores;

4. Making contact for housekeeping, repair, maintenance services; and

5. Shopping, doing errands.

D.  ESCORT/TRANSPORTATION

1. Assist riders, as necessary, in boarding, fastening seat belts and disembarking at destination points.

2. Escorting and/or transporting client to various medical appointments;

3. Escorting and/or transporting client to needed services (e.g., food stamps, bank, attorney, etc.); and

4. Taking client shopping or on errands.

E.  INFORMATION, ASSISTANCE AND ADVOCACY

1. Providing information about community services;

2. Helping clients access a needed service (e.g., food stamps, SSI, Medicaid);

3. Referring for housekeeping, repair, and maintenance services; and

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

F.  RESPITE CARE

1. Provide supervision of homebound clients to relieve primary caregivers. Activities include those listed above, as appropriate.

G.  FOOD/HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTION

1. Sorting, bagging and/or delivering food and/or household products to clients; and

2. Distributing food and/or household products to clients via a walk-in process or by appointment at a local distribution point.

An approved service plan, by virtue of the nature of volunteer services, coincidentally may include one or more of the following social and/or recreational activities:

1. Providing companionship;

2. Fostering client contact with family and others; and

3. Accompanying client to recreational or social events.

Questions or Comments for the Aging and Disability Services Division?
Please contact a Regional Office.
We look forward to speaking with you!