Services

Provide individualized services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities that will enable them acquire, retain, or improve skills necessary to reside in a home that is under their control and responsibility. This service includes direct assistance as needed with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, personal hygiene, eating, and meal preparation excluding the cost of food, household chores essential to the health and safety of the enrollee, budget management, attending appointments, interpersonal and social skills building to enable them live in a home in the community.

 Community-based Day Services:

This will enable them participate in meaningful and productive activities in integrated settings with other community members who may or may not have disabilities. This service will facilitate job exploration activities, volunteer work, educational activities and other meaningful, measurable community activities that promote developing relationships and maintaining ongoing relationships with friends and family members.

In-home Day Services are provided in the person’s residence if there is a health, behavioral, or other medical reason or if the person has chosen retirement or is unable to participate in services outside the home: such as, community-based, facility-based, and supportive employment.

Personal Assistant Services:

This is defined as the provision of direct assistance with activities of daily living, (e.g. bathing, dressing, eating, meal preparation – excluding the cost of food), house hold chores essential to the health and safety of the individual, budget management, attending appointments and interpersonal and social skill building to enable the individual live in a home in the community. It may also include medication administration as permitted under the Tennessee’s Nurse Practice Act.

Personal Assistance Services form the foundation for a decent and dignified life for people with significant disabilities and their families and friends. It allows people with disabilities to contribute to other people and to their communities. This reduces the perception that people with disabilities are a burden to society and that services to them are wasteful. It also allows them to enrich the diversity of their communities by their distinctive contributions.

Some of HCI responsibilities in providing this service include:

• HCI staff are required to comply with procedures for detection and prevention of communicable diseases according to procedure of Tennessee Department of Health.
• Receipt and disbursement of money on behalf of the persons supported
• HCI personal support staff must have access to discuss any service provided under this chapter
• HCI personal support staff must have access to consultation for any of the services provided under this chapter

Procedures for Medication Administration: If HCI will administer medication to an individual receiving Personal Assistance service, these requirement must be met:

• Medication assistance shall be provided only after written authorization has been obtained from the person supported or his/her authorized representative;
• Medication assistance training shall be provided to the staff prior to providing assistance and training must be documented in the staff’s personal file;
• Staff shall have procedures for collecting information about medications taken by the person supported.

Individual Transport Services:  

is a non-emergency transport of an individual to and from approved activities specified in his/her plan of care. HCI will ensure that whenever possible, family, neighbors, friends and community agencies that can provide this service free of charge is utilized. HCI will provide transportation or assist with transportation for non-routine events, special appointment or long distance level.

To ensure the health and safety of all individuals who are transported to community participation activities, medical appointments or other events by HCI Supports staff, the agency has developed and will implement the procedures below:

PROCEDURE:

1. All vehicles used to transport individuals must have operable seat belts.
2. Staff must ensure that the individuals are transported using seat belts in the proper manner.
3. Any mobility support needs applicable to transportation must be met in accordance with the ISP or staff instructions (i.e., if the individual uses a wheelchair, staff must be trained to properly use the vehicle lift and secure the wheelchair in the vehicle if applicable).
4. All staff vehicles used in transporting any individual must have routine maintenance checks as recommended in the vehicle’s owner manual to ensure the vehicle is safe for transportation of individuals.
5. All staff vehicles used to transport individuals will also be routinely inspected upon hiring and bi-annually thereafter by the agency’s management to ensure vehicles meet all transportation service requirements.
6. HCI will maintain a current copy of the staff’s driver’s license and vehicle liability insurance certificate if their vehicles are used to transport individuals.
7. HCI will ensure that each vehicle used to transport individuals has first aid supplies as required by chapter 11, section 11.10 of the DIDD Provider Manual.
8. Neither HCI nor our staff will charge the individuals or their families, legal conservators or guardians for the cost of routine maintenance or the cost of cleaning the interior or exterior of vehicles owned by the provider or the provider’s staff.
9. Neither HCI nor our staff may charge the individuals or their families, legal conservators or guardians for the cost of providing a cellular telephone for the use of staff involved in transporting individuals, unless specifically requested by the serviced recipient or his/her legal representative.

Note:   Individual Transportation Services are not intended to replace services available through the Medicaid State Plan/TennCare program.