CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.House Bill 1107
Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1107
By Representative Dennis
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to elderly affairs; creating s.
3 430.071, F.S.; establishing the "Respite for
4 Elders Living in Everyday Families" (RELIEF)
5 program to be administered by the Office of
6 Volunteer and Community Services in the
7 Department of Elderly Affairs; providing for
8 the screening, selection, and training of
9 volunteers; providing other duties for the
10 office; providing an effective date.
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12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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14 Section 1. Section 430.071, Florida Statutes, is
15 created to read:
16 430.071 Respite for elders living in everyday
17 families.--
18 (1) As used in this section, the term:
19 (a) "Family unit" means one or more individuals whose
20 primary residence is with a homebound elderly individual
21 specifically for the purpose of providing care for that
22 homebound elderly individual. The family does not necessarily
23 need to be related by blood or marriage to the homebound
24 elderly individual.
25 (b) "Respite" means in-home assistance for a homebound
26 elderly individual from someone who is not a member of the
27 family unit which allows the family unit the ability to leave
28 the homebound elderly individual for a period of time.
29 (c) "Stipend" means an allotment of funds to enable a
30 diverse population of volunteers to provide services. The
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1 allotment of funds is for a period of service and is not an
2 hourly wage.
3 (d) "Volunteer service system" means an organized
4 network of volunteers and agencies engaged in supporting
5 volunteers to assist a family unit that requires respite.
6 (2) The "Respite for Elders Living in Everyday
7 Families" (RELIEF) program will provide in-home respite that
8 is an expansion of respite that is currently available through
9 other programs, specifically including evening and weekend
10 respite. The purpose of this service is to increase the
11 ability of a family unit to continue to care for a homebound
12 elderly individual by providing in-home respite beyond the
13 basic provisions of current public programs.
14 (3) Respite services will be provided through a
15 multigenerational corps of volunteers, volunteers who receive
16 a stipend, and any other appropriate personnel as determined
17 by the department.
18 (a) Volunteers will be screened, selected, trained,
19 and registered according to standards developed by the Office
20 of Volunteer and Community Services in the Department of
21 Elderly Affairs. These standards must be developed to ensure,
22 at a minimum, the safety of a homebound elderly individual who
23 will receive the respite service.
24 (b) Volunteers may be recruited from a variety of
25 sources, including, but not limited to, volunteer centers,
26 religious organizations, college campuses, corporations,
27 families, Retired Senior Volunteer Programs, Senior Companion
28 Programs and AmeriCorps Programs.
29 (4) To receive assistance from the RELIEF program, the
30 family unit must be assessed according to the following
31 guidelines developed by the department to determine the need
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1 for respite services. This assessment must determine, at a
2 minimum, that:
3 (a) The family unit is unable to pay for respite
4 without jeopardizing other basic needs, including, but not
5 limited to, food, shelter, and medications.
6 (b) The homebound elderly individual for whom the
7 family unit is caring is 60 years of age or older, requires
8 assistance to remain in the home, and, without this
9 assistance, would need to move to an assisted living facility
10 or a nursing facility.
11 (5) A family unit that receives respite services from
12 the RELIEF program is not excluded from receiving assistance
13 from other governmental programs.
14 (6) The Office of Volunteer and Community Services
15 will:
16 (a) Systematically develop a volunteer service system
17 in order to provide respite services under the RELIEF program.
18 The office will also implement, monitor, and evaluate the
19 delivery of respite services under this program.
20 (b) Work collaboratively with local, state, and
21 national organizations, including, but not limited to, the
22 Florida Commission on Community Service, to promote the use of
23 volunteers offering respite under this program.
24 (c) Encourage contributions and grants through public
25 and private sources to promote the delivery of respite to
26 assist family units providing care for homebound elderly
27 individuals.
28 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
29 law.
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Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1107
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2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Creates the "Respite for Elders Living in Everyday
Families" (RELIEF) program administered by the Office of
4 Volunteer and Community Services in the Department of
Elderly Affairs to bring in-home assistance to a
5 homebound elderly person from someone who is not a member
of the family.
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