| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to caregivers for adults; authorizing the |
| 3 | Department of Elderly Affairs to create a pilot program in |
| 4 | specified counties to train persons to act as companions |
| 5 | and provide certain services to frail adults in the |
| 6 | community; specifying additional purposes of the pilot |
| 7 | program; requiring an evaluation and report to the |
| 8 | Legislature; providing an appropriation; providing an |
| 9 | effective date. |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 12 |
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| 13 | Section 1. (1) Beginning in the 2007-2008 fiscal year and |
| 14 | for a period of no longer than 3 years, the Department of |
| 15 | Elderly Affairs may establish a pilot program in Pasco County or |
| 16 | Pinellas County, or both, to train persons to act as companions |
| 17 | and provide personal assistance to frail adults 60 years of age |
| 18 | or older in the community. The purposes of the pilot program are |
| 19 | to: |
| 20 | (a) Assist in meeting the growing demand for in-home |
| 21 | companion care services and personal care services and |
| 22 | preventing costly and premature institutional placements; and |
| 23 | (b) Act as a direct referral service for the Department of |
| 24 | Elderly Affairs. |
| 25 | (2) By January 1, 2010, if the pilot program is |
| 26 | established, the Department of Elderly Affairs shall submit a |
| 27 | report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the |
| 28 | House of Representatives which includes the status of the |
| 29 | implementation of the program, the number of persons who have |
| 30 | been trained to provide community-based care for frail adults 60 |
| 31 | years of age or older who live in the community, the number of |
| 32 | frail adults 60 years of age or older who have received such |
| 33 | services, and recommendations for further legislation, including |
| 34 | a recommendation regarding extending the pilot program |
| 35 | throughout the state. |
| 36 | Section 2. The sum of $75,000 in nonrecurring revenue is |
| 37 | appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of |
| 38 | Elderly Affairs for fiscal year 2007-2008 to implement the |
| 39 | provisions of this act. |
| 40 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |