The Integrated Personal Care program was developed by DHHS to maximize existing state funding for Optional State Supplementation (OSS) program. Approximately 4,000 South Carolinians who reside in licensed Community Residential Care Facilities (CRCFs) have their income subsidized with OSS dollars appropriated by the General Assembly. The program is administered by SCDHHS. The OSS payment covers room and board and "a degree" of personal care. OSS recipients meet specific age or disability requirements, have limited income and resources and occupy an approved slot through the OSS system. Many of these individuals require more than "a degree" of personal care assistance. The Integrated Personal Care (IPC) program will provide reimbursement to facilities to provide an hour of assistance with personal care for residents who need the service, by a trained aide under the weekly supervision of a registered nurse. In order to participate, licensed facilities must have a full time facility administrator with a high school diploma or equivalent, at least two years experience in a health care setting and the ability to direct and manage staff. The facility must also have a trained awake aide on duty in the facility twenty-four hours a day to meet the scheduled and unpredicted needs of the resident and to provide supervision for the safety and security of the residents. The facility must employ or contract with a registered nurse to provide training and weekly supervision for the aides.
The IPC Program employs 4 registered nurses to evaluate residents' needs and authorize the provision of services to the facility for OSS residents who meet the medical criteria. The IPC nurses have been issued laptops loaded with the CMS system and will assess the resident using the same assessment tool currently utilized by the Community Long Term Care program. The criteria are two functional deficits or one functional deficit and one cognitive impairment. The registered nurse employed by or contracted by the facility will develop the care plan, train the aides to provide the service in an acceptable manner and provide weekly supervision and monitoring. The facility administrator will provide daily supervision and on-site monitoring. IPC nurses conduct periodic assessments to monitor the residents' condition, evaluate the adequacy and quality of care, and identify residents whose needs exceed those than those that can be provided in the CRCF.
