Effective: September 29, 2013
Latest Legislation: House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly
(A) As used in this section, "terminal care facility for the homeless" means a facility that provides accommodations to homeless individuals who are terminally ill.
(B) A person or public agency licensed under this chapter to provide a hospice care program may enter into an agreement with a terminal care facility for the homeless under which hospice care program services may be provided to individuals residing at the facility, if all of the following apply:
(1) Each resident of the facility has been diagnosed by a physician as having a terminal condition and an anticipated life expectancy of six months or less;
(2) No resident of the facility has a relative or other person willing or capable of providing the care necessary to cope with the resident's terminal illness or is financially capable of hiring a person to provide such care;
(3) Each resident of the facility is under the direct care of a physician;
(4) No resident of the facility requires the staff of the facility to administer medication by injection;
(5) The facility does not receive any remuneration, directly or indirectly, from the residents;
(6) The facility does not receive any remuneration, directly or indirectly, from the medicaid program or the medicare program;
(7) The facility meets all applicable state and federal health and safety standards, including standards for fire prevention, maintenance of safe and sanitary conditions, and proper preparation and storage of foods.
(C) Hospice care program services may be provided at a terminal care facility for the homeless only by the personnel of the person or public agency that has entered into an agreement with the facility under this section.
(D) A terminal care facility for the homeless that has entered into an agreement under this section may assist its residents with the self-administration of medication if the medication has been prescribed by a physician and is not administered by injection. In the event that a resident has entered the final stages of dying and is no longer mentally alert, the facility may administer medication to that resident if the medication has been prescribed by a physician and is not administered by injection. Determinations of whether an individual has entered the final stages of dying and is no longer mentally alert shall be based on directions from the personnel who provide hospice care program services at the facility.