Here is a summary of WSRCC Accomplishments

Accomplished in the last Legislative Session:
Collective Bargaining Agreement

Governor signs ESSHB 1935!

This bill was created and run by WSRCC with the assistance of the LTC Ombudsman’s office and their attorney, Howard Graham, attorney, and Rep Morrell and Sen Fairley. 

The bill creates needed clarification on the rights of people with disabilities to live in adult family homes in the community and stated:

1.  Restrictive covenants that have the effect of limiting the ability of people with disabilities to live in the residence of their choice, including adult family homes, are unenforceable to the extent of any conflict with this policy.

2.  DSHS was required to establish a specialty license to include geriatric specialty certification for providers who have successfully completed the University of Washington School of Nursing certified geriatric certification program and testing.

3.  The $50 licensing and renewal fees for adult family homes are changed to $100. An $800 processing fee shall also be charged each home when the home is initially licensed. The processing fee will be applied toward the license renewal in the subsequent three years. A $500 rebate will be returned to any home that renews after four years in operation.
 

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1) Liability Insurance

• WSRCC was successful in obtaining moratorium (delay) for several years on the Liability Insurance requirement.

• WSRCC has been working with the legislature and DSHS to get Medicaid rates increased so you can afford Liability Insurance to protect your business.

2) Annual conference

WSRCC has sponsored 14 annual, state wide conferences and trade shows designed specifically for Adult Family Homes. October 11th and 12th of 2010 will be the 15th Annual WSRCC Conference.
 

3) Lobbyist - WSRCC’s lobbyists Terry Kohl and Lisa Thatcher are essential to our continued success as an industry.  Terry and Lisa keep an eye out for legislation that can affect Adult Family Homes & their Residents.
 

4) Medicaid rates and AFH regulation - WSRCC (provider) volunteers and our lobbyists work very hard on your behalf to increase the Medicaid rates and keep regulations simple to understand.
 

5) Educating Legislators - WSRCC educated Legislators about the drastic need for increases in Medicaid rates, over 8 million (8,000,000) dollars.

The Federation (union) requested budget increases for:

• State mental hospitals that institutionalize people with dementia;

• Fircrest School (RHC- Residential Habilitation Center) that institutionalizes people with Developmental Delays. (This is a conflict of interest, when they represent state run institutions.)

• Many of these individuals could be Residents in Adult Family Homes.
   

6) Food Handler Card requirements – WSRCC authored and worked with legislators to change the Food Handler Card requirements.

• Renewal of the Food Handlers card is now much simpler.
   

7) Training for new Adult Family Home Providers - WSRCC authored and worked on legislation that requires new Providers to take 48 hours of classes to help them better understand the business and the demands of the Adult Family Home before they become licensed.

• This creates a more stable industry to the advantage of our Residents.

• It helped to prevent Providers from losing their investments in time and money

• It protects the reputation of all Adult Family Homes when residents are not being relocated due to a new provider getting in over their head.
   

8) Created Public Awareness

• WSRCC produced and ran a professional television commercial in 2005 advertising what an AFH is.

• The commercial ran for seven months on Northwest Cable News.
  
  

• WSRCC is the only organization educating the public about the benefits and services Adult Family Homes provide.
   

9) Nurse Delegation - WSRCC influenced lawmaking and actively participated in developing the Nurse Delegation System, helping Providers maintain and increase the number of Residents they are able to retain and serve.

• Prior to the Nurse Delegation,AFH Providers (who are not nurses) lost Residents to the skilled nursing facility when their care needs increased and were not allowed to admit Residents who required medication administration.

• Nurse Delegation now allows Residents to age in place in the Adult Family Homes.
  
  

• WSRCC is successfully working with legislators to allow insulin dependant residents, who are unable to give their own insulin shots, the opportunity to be in Adult Family Homes instead of Nursing Homes.
   

10) The Medication Assistance Definition.– WSRCC influenced lawmaking and created the  Medication Assistance Definition.

• This allows caregivers to assist Residents in taking their regular medications without being required to use Nurse Delegation.
   

11) Your AFH License no longer needs to be reapplied for each year

• WSRCC encouraged DSHS to develop laws that made your AFH License perpetual.
   

• Prior to this law, you had to fill out a new application and reapply for your license yearly.
   

12) Residential Utility Rate - Because of WSRCC, AFH’s are now paying residential rates on electric, gas & telephone instead of commercial rates. There is always someone trying to increase you overhead. WSRCC is watching out for you.

13) Specialty licenses – WSRCC was very involved in the creation of AFH specialty Licenses: Dementia, Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. This brings more Residents into your home and raises the level of credibility and education to our industry.
 

14) Collective Bargaining Unit

• WSRCC restructured our bylaws to expand our purpose to include collective bargaining. This allows us to directly bargain for Medicaid rates on behalf of Medicaid contracted providers.