HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 01171984 - IO.1 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: 1983 Internal Operations Contra
Costa
DATE: January 17, 1984 @ CourYty
SUBJECT: Recruiting employees to work in nursing homes; evictions of Medi-Cal patients;
and the feasibility of involving adult children in sharing responsibility for
j the ra rP of thai rnarPni i n nllre i n9 hnmPt
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION
Accept report of Social Services and Private Industry Council Departments
that existing training opportunities are sufficient to meet current needs
of nursing homes in the County and that appropriate welfare clients are
routinely advised of such opportunities; direct the County Administrator
to analyze and recommend to the Board a position on proposed legislation
relating to uniform retention, transfer or discharge policies for all
nursing home patients, regardless of funding source; and direct the County
Welfare Director and County Counsel to determine whether current legisla-
tion provides that adult children may be required to share in the
financial support of their parents in nursing homes and, lacking such
authority, recommend appropriate legislative proposals.
BACKGROUND
Upon being advised of publicity regarding the intention of certain nursing
homes to evict or inappropriately transfer Medi-Cal patients to other
facilities and to drop from the Medi-Cal program because of what they
deemed to be inadequate reimbursement, the Board on October 4, 1983
ordered certain actions to be taken.
The problem of recruiting employees to work in nursing homes was referred
to the Internal Operations Committee, County Welfare Director, and Private
Industry Council , with the request that those departments propose possible
solutions to the problem to the Committee, hopefully including plans to
train and recruit welfare recipients for this purpose.
The Social Services and Private Industry Council Departments reported to
the Internal Operations Committee on January 9, 1984. A review of
_ Private Industry Council Regional Offices throughout the County revealed
little or no 'interest by applicants for employment in this occupation.
The major reasons stated were low entry level wages, shift work, and no
immediate upward mobility. Several of the Regional Offices indicated
that interested participants preferred to work "in home" versus convales-
cent hospitals. The California Association of Health Facilities does
advise, though, that their turnover in their nurses' aides group has
declined over the past year.
The Regional Offices also indicated that there is no statistical evidence
which shows that welfare recipients, as opposed to other economically
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X_YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S)
ACTION OF BOARD ON January 17, 1984 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER X
Requested the County Administrator to review provisions of proposed
legislation AB 2261 and recommend a position to the Board.
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AYES: NOES: AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC: County Administrator ATTESTED ,
1-7, lolefll
Acting Health Services J. OLSSON. C NTY CLERK
Director AND EX OFFICIO CLERK OF THE B(�tR,A..,-
i Z5
•�� 1
M3e2/7-83 BY DEPUTY
IOC to Board
January 17, 1984
Page Two.
disadvantaged clients, are more inclined to participate in nurses aide
training. Since this occupation requires a certain amount of dedica-
tion in the treatment and care of patients, any mandatory requirement
for participation by welfare recipients is not recommended. Social
Services Department vocational counsellors do, however, routinely
f advise appropriate welfare recipients of the opportunities for such
training and employment.
At present, Pittsburg Adult School is providing Classroom Training for
Home Health Aides and Nurses Assistants. This combined course is
offered three times per year. In December 1983, eighteen (18) students
graduated from the program. Currently, there are twenty-three (23)
students enrolled. This is a ten week course, six hours a day, four
days a week. In order to complete, students must receive a total of
two-hundred seventy (270) hours of training including five weeks of
clinical (hospital ) training. One hundred and twenty (120) hours of
training will qualify an individual for Home Health Aide. However, to
qualify for Nurses Assistant, students must complete the entire course.
After completion, students receive a State License. Tuition is five
dollars ($5.00) per student. Students must also purchase books, sup-
plies and uniforms.
Based on the above, it appears there is no need to design a special
training program for nurses aide. Any other program would be more ex-
pensive and would duplicate the efforts of Pittsburg Adult School .
The Acalanes and Mt. Diablo School Districts did provide this course,
however, both schools have dropped the course from its curriculum.
The possibility of involving the children of patients in taking more
responsibility for the financial support of their parents who are
patients in nursing homes was referred to the Internal Operations Com-
mittee to determine its feasibility. Current legislation must be
reviewed to determine whether adult children can be required to provide
financial support for their parents in view of court actions in the
1970' s which prohibited such a requirement. Lacking such authority, the
County Welfare Director and County Counsel should propose appropriate
legislation to require, where feasible, support of parents by their
adult children, including the use of parents' assets to help provide for
such support.
There is proposed legislation in the current session which addresses
Medi-Cal issues in considerable scope. The County Administrator should
analyze these proposals to determine whether and to what extent they
address the concerns of the Board of Supervisors and to bring to the
Board recommendations for a position on such legislation.
N. C. Fanden T. Powers
379