It is the intent of the Legislature to develop and implement a plan to establish three levels of care under the residential care facility for the elderly license, subject to future Budget Act appropriations and statutory authorization to implement levels of care.

(a) The guidelines for the development of these levels of care are:

(1) Level I-Base care and supervision.  Residents at this level are able to maintain a higher degree of independence and need only minimum care and supervision, as defined, and minimal personal care assistance.

(2) Level II-Nonmedical personal care.  Residents at this level have functional limitations and psychosocial needs requiring not only care and supervision but frequent assistance with personal activities of daily living and active intervention to help them maintain their potential for independent living.

(3) Level III-Health related assistance.  Residents at this level require the services of lower levels and rely on the facility for extensive assistance with personal activities of daily living. This level may include residents who also require the occasional services of an appropriate skilled professional due to chronic health problems and returning residents recovering from illness, injury, or treatment that required placement in facilities providing higher levels of care.

These levels are to be based on the services required by residents at each level due to their functional limitations.

(b) The levels of care plan shall include:

(1) Guidelines for meeting requirements at each level of care by utilizing appropriate community and professional services. Options shall be provided to allow facilities to meet resident needs by accessing community services or hiring appropriate staff.

(2) Assessment procedures for facility evaluation of residents’ level of care needs.

(3) Process for ensuring the individual facility’s ability to serve clients at each level of care they intend to provide.

(4) Recommendations for a supplemental rate structure based on the services required at Levels II and III to be provided for residents who need those levels of care and are recipients of SSI/SSP. These rates shall be in addition to the basic SSI/SSP rate for providing care supervision and shall reflect actual costs of operation for residential care facilities for the elderly.

(5) Procedures for assessment and certification of SSI/SSP recipients, by county social services departments to allow for administration of the supplemental rate structure.

(6) Procedures for evaluating and monitoring the appropriateness of the levels of care determined for SSI/SSP recipients.

(c) Implementation of the levels of care system shall consider the applicability of the 1985 level of care report developed by the California Health and Human Services Agency, so as to ensure continuity in the residential care facility for the elderly program as outlined under this chapter.

(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 183, Sec. 191. Effective January 1, 2005.)