(1) That there are many older Oregonians and Oregonians with disabilities who face difficulties in maintaining self-care and independent living within the mainstream of life, and who have not yet exhausted their financial resources. These persons are often dependent upon providers of care for advice regarding 24-hour care. These persons and providers are not always aware of options to, or within, such care;
(2) That inappropriate or premature institutionalization of persons who have not exhausted their financial resources often leads to exhaustion of those resources, and to the expectation by these persons and providers that continued financing of inappropriate institutional care shall be available under Title XIX. However, under these circumstances, transfer of the person to appropriate, less costly noninstitutional or alternative institutional care, if available, is necessary in order that limited public funds can be utilized to provide appropriate care to as many persons in need as possible; and
(3) That to minimize the need for such disruptive transfers, it is in the interest of older Oregonians and Oregonians with disabilities and of providers of care that the Department of Human Services, or any designated state agency, develop plans for assuring access to information, counseling and screening, as appropriate, by persons potentially in need of long term care without regard to the person’s income. [1983 c.312 §1; 1985 c.180 §3; 1989 c.224 §72; 2007 c.70 §165]