REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 21, 2024
FROM
SHARON NEVINS, Director, Department of Aging and Adult Services
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contract with WISE and Healthy Aging for Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 22-221 with WISE and Healthy Aging for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program to be advocates for the rights of residents of long-term care facilities, updating to the standard contract language, including Attachment D of the contract, increasing the contract amount by $200,000, from $1,800,000 to $2,000,000, and extending the contract term by one year, for a total contract term of April 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025.
(Presenter: Sharon Nevins, Director, 891-3917)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The amended contract increase of $200,000 for the Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman Program is funded by a combination of ongoing state, federal and one-time only funding sources as follows: State General Fund IIIB, State Public Health Licensing and Certification Fund, State Health Facilities Citation Penalties Account, State Skilled Nursing Facility Quality and Accountability Program, Federal Title IIIB, Federal Title VII, Federal Title VII Elder Abuse, Federal Title XX Elder Justice, and State American Rescue Plan Act funding. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Aging and Adult Services’ (DAAS) 2023-24 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The LTC Ombudsman Program is authorized under Title VII of the federal Older Americans Act of 1965 and works to resolve issues and concerns related to the health, safety, welfare, and rights of individuals who live in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, board and care and assisted living facilities, and other residential care communities. The program is part of a statewide system of response and advocacy focused on residents of long-term facilities with an emphasis on receiving and resolving complaints from or on behalf of long-term care residents.
LTC Ombudsman representatives assist residents in long-term care facilities with issues including, but not limited to, violation of resident’s rights or dignity; physical, verbal, mental, or fiscal abuse; poor quality of care; dietary concerns; medical care, therapy, and rehabilitation issues; Medicare and Medi-Cal benefit issues; improper transfer or discharge of a patient; inappropriate use of chemical or physical restraints, and more. Service delivery is primarily complaint resolution, which includes investigation and response by local certified Ombudsman representatives, consisting of paid staff and volunteers, designated to act on behalf of the State LTC Ombudsman. As an advocacy program, Ombudsman representatives also engage in activities including public information, elder abuse prevention education and training and legislative advocacy.
The recommended amendment will extend of the contract term an additional year to permit WISE and Healthy Aging to provide the personnel management, including the recruitment, training, and evaluation of paid and volunteer staff, to perform the required advocacy activities and deliver mandated services under the Ombudsman program. The program has been approved by the Office of the State LTC Ombudsman.
On March 29, 2022 (Item No. 4), the Board of Supervisors approved Contract No. 22-221 with WISE and Healthy Aging for the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program to be advocates for the rights of residents of long-term care facilities, in the amount not to exceed $1,800,000 for the period of April 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024.
Under the terms of the recommended amendment, at minimum 42 Skilled Nursing Facilities and 174 Residential Care Facilities for Seniors and Adults with Disabilities within San Bernardino County will be visited quarterly. Additionally, 900 clients will receive elder abuse prevention education and training annually.
County staff will measure contractor performance by reviewing service data and expenditure reports monthly and conducting annual site visits to monitor compliance with all contractual requirements. DAAS will continue to work closely with the Office of the State LTC Ombudsman to ensure regulatory requirements are met. The contract may be terminated by the County immediately in the event that funds are not available, and without cause by serving a written notice to the Contractor 30 days in advance of termination.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on May 8, 2024; Couty Counsel (Jacqueline Carey-Wilson, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 6, 2024; Finance (John Hallen, Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on May 6, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on May 6, 2024