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RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO APPLY TO THE FEDERAL HEALTH CARE FINANCING ADMINISTRATION TO EXPAND ITS HOME AND COMMUNITY BASED WAIVER PROGRAMS

WHEREAS, Assisted living is an important component of the long-term care delivery system offering a valuable long-term care service option for persons who need assistance with personal care and other support services but who do not require nursing home care; and

WHEREAS, Studies show increasing numbers of low income elders and persons with disabilities, including persons with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, who are in need of assisted living services; and

WHEREAS, The state of Rhode Island has a limited number of programs to subsidize assisted living for low income persons including two hundred and thirty (230) units of assisted living under its various home and community-based medicaid waiver programs and a special enhanced SSI rate for persons living in assisted living; and

WHEREAS, The number and types of subsidized assisted living units is not sufficient to meet the demand; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby respectfully directs the Department of Human Services to apply to the federal Health Care Financing Administration to expand its home and community-based waiver program(s) to include an additional one hundred and eighty (180) units of assisted living units of which at least fifty (50) units would be dedicated for the development of a model program to provide affordable assisted living services to persons with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the director of the Department of Human Services.