Senate Bill sb1538

    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1538

    By Senator Jones





    13-1015-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to caregivers for adults;

  3         authorizing the Department of Elderly Affairs

  4         to create a pilot program to train economically

  5         disadvantaged workers who are a specified age

  6         or older to act as companions and provide

  7         certain services to frail and vulnerable adults

  8         in the community; specifying additional

  9         purposes of the pilot program; requiring an

10         evaluation and report to the Legislature;

11         providing an effective date.

12  

13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

14  

15         Section 1.  (1)  Beginning in the 2006-2007 fiscal year

16  and for a period of no longer than 3 years, the Department of

17  Elderly Affairs may establish a pilot program to train

18  economically disadvantaged workers who are 55 years of age or

19  older to act as companions and provide personal assistance to

20  frail and vulnerable adults in the community. The department

21  shall use the resources of the Senior Community Service

22  Employment Program to support the pilot program to the

23  greatest extent allowed by federal law. The purposes of the

24  pilot program are to:

25         (a)  Foster the development of training and employment

26  opportunities for economically disadvantaged workers who are

27  55 years of age or older;

28         (b)  Encourage the use of economically disadvantaged

29  workers who are 55 years of age or older in providing

30  community-based care for frail and vulnerable adults who live

31  in the community;

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1538
    13-1015-06




 1         (c)  Assist in meeting the growing demand for in-home

 2  companion care services and personal care services and in

 3  preventing costly and premature institutional placements; and

 4         (d)  Act as a direct referral service for the

 5  Department of Elderly Affairs.

 6         (2)  By January 1, 2009, if the pilot program is

 7  established, the Department of Elderly Affairs shall submit a

 8  report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the

 9  House of Representatives which includes the status of the

10  implementation of the program, the number of economically

11  disadvantaged workers who have been trained to provide

12  community-based care for frail and vulnerable older adults who

13  live in the community, the number of frail and vulnerable

14  older adults who have received such services, and

15  recommendations for further legislation, including a

16  recommendation regarding extending the pilot program

17  throughout the state.

18         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

19  

20            *****************************************

21                          SENATE SUMMARY

22    Authorizes the Department of Elderly Affairs to create a
      pilot program to train economically disadvantaged workers
23    who are a specified age or older to act as companions and
      provide certain services to frail and vulnerable adults
24    in the community. Specifies additional purposes of the
      pilot program. Requires an evaluation and report to the
25    Legislature.

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28  

29  

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31  

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.