November 27, 2001
MANAGEMENT BULLETIN
TO: Area Agency on Aging Directors
Home and Community Services Regional
Administrators
SUBJECT: Status on Implementation of AAA-HCS Case Transfer Recommendations
The Area Agency on Aging (AAA)-Home
and Community Services (HCS) Case Transfer Workgroup met five (5) times during
the period of January to May 2001. The
purpose of the group was to define existing statewide problems associated with
the transfer of cases at HCS and AAA regions.
The transfer problems may occur when a file is transferred between HCS
and AAA offices or from one HCS region to another or from one AAA to
another. The group’s charge was to come
up with specific recommendations on (1) local protocols for handling cases which
do not meet established standards, (2) additional protocols for handling
cases/trends which cannot be resolved, and (3) a method for tracking trends in
case transfer problems. The group was
to produce a set of recommendations that could be readily implemented
throughout the state.
Workgroup Members:
HCS
Regional Administrators: Terry Marker, Greg Heartburg, Pao Vue
AAA
Directors: Pam Piering, Gail Hiestand and Nick Beamer
HCS/AAA
staff: Shari DeBerg and Carol
Fredrickson
AASA
staff: Carol Sloan, Lorrie Mahar and Bea Rector
The purpose of this
Management Bulletin (MB) is to provide a status update on the implementation of
the workgroup’s recommendations. The
workgroup produced/revised a number of documents that they felt would improve
consistency and coordination in the transfer of cases. These documents include:
1) Minimum Standards for Completing Comprehensive
Assessments
2) Minimum Standards for Completing Service Plans
3) HCS-AAA Case Transfer Protocol
4) Case Transfer Form
5) Service Plan Addendum
6) Managed Risk Agreement
7) Workgroup Recommendation
November 27, 2001
MB-AASA-AAA-HCS-01-51-52
Page Two
8) Tracking Form
To reduce confusion, only
those documents that this MB is directing for implementation are listed below
and are included as attachments.
1 & 2) Minimum Standards for Completing
Comprehensive Assessments and Service Plans: MB 01-08 included a set of minimum standards for Comprehensive
Assessment completion. This document
was revised slightly by the workgroup.
Upon review by AASA some additional changes were made. The Standards for both Comprehensive
Assessments and Service Plans are based upon existing RCW, WAC, AASA policy and
State Waiver requirements. These standards
documents simply take all these requirements and put them in one place that can
be used for easy reference by the assessor as well as individuals who monitor
files. As referenced in the HCS-AAA
Case Transfer Protocol, Comprehensive Assessments and Service Plans developed
as a result of full, annual or initial assessments are to meet the standards
outlined in these documents.
The
latest version 3.83 of the CA includes updated help screens that are consistent
with the attached minimum standards documents.
The minimum standards have also been incorporated into revisions of the
LTC manual chapters 3 and 4. These
chapters will be issued in November.
3) HCS-AAA Case Transfer Protocol: As
recommended by the work group, the attached HCS-AAA Case Transfer Protocol has
been adopted by AASA. This protocol is
to be implemented by AAA’s and HCS Regions by December 15, 2001. The protocol is to be used for all
transferred cases either between the AAA and HCS systems or when transfers
occur from one AAA office to another or one HCS regional office to
another.
Chapter 2 of the Long Term Care Manual is currently under revision to incorporate the adopted Case Transfer Protocol.
4) Case Transfer Form: As recommended by the work
group, the attached HCS-AAA Case Transfer Form has been adopted by AASA. A number of examples from local AAA/HCS offices
were used when creating this new document.
The Case Transfer Form is to be used by all HCS regional and AAA offices
when any case is transferred from one office to another beginning December 15,
2001. A template version of the form is
being worked on by DSHS Forms. When it
is available in that version, an IM will be issued. In the meantime, a copy the attached form is to be used when
transferring cases.
November 27, 2001
MB-AASA-AAA-HCS-01-52
Page Two
The
intent of the workgroup members is that the assessor will be the one to
complete the Case Transfer Form. Local
offices may determine that someone other than the assessor will complete the
form and attach it to the client record prior to transfer. Do not make changes to this form without
AASA approval. This form will replace
all other transfer forms used locally.
Chapter 2 of the Long Term Care Manual is currently under revision to incorporate the adopted Case Transfer Form.
5) Tracking Form: The tracking form is to be used by local offices to track trends of why case files are returned to a transferring agency. If a receiving agency sends back a case file for reasons noted as acceptable in the case transfer protocol, the reason for returning the case should be recorded on the tracking form. It is the responsibility of the agency returning the case to log the reason for return on the tracking form. The tracking form is to be used beginning December 15, 2001. These forms will be reviewed at annual AASA monitoring visits to determine whether changes need to be made to statewide case transfer protocols, forms, etc.
Chapter 2 of the Long Term Care Manual is currently under revision to incorporate the adopted tracking form.
For questions or comments
please contact:
Bea Rector
Aging & Adult Services
State Unit on Aging
(360) 725-2560
Penny Black, Director
Home and Community Services Division
Attachments