(a) Responsibilities of grantees include: - (i) Administration of grant in accordance with these Rules and Regulations and the Older Americans Act.
(b) Non-eligible participants' fees for services and meals: - (i) Non-eligible participants shall pay the cost for services as established by the grantee and approved by the Division.
- (A) Failure to make such payment will result in termination of service provision.
- (ii) Non-eligible participants shall pay the cost for meals as follows:
- (A) Staff and guests under age sixty (60) may consume a meal only when it will not deprive an eligible older person of an opportunity to receive a meal. These individuals are required to pay the full cost of any meal received.
- (I) The required fee for the meal will be established annually by the Division.
- (B) Payment for non-eligible participants will be documented.
- (C) Failure to make such a payment or to be documented by the grantee for non-eligible participants' meals will result in termination of the meal provision.
- (iii) Grantees may offer a meal to nutrition services staff who directly produce the meals (i.e., cooks, cooks-helpers, dishwashers, bakers, can consume a meal at no-cost to them) as a non-taxable benefit.
- (iv) Grantees may offer a meal to staff members involved in the delivery of meals (i.e., bus drivers that deliver home delivered meals and who are under sixty (60) may eat a meal) for the charge of the state average raw food cost.
- (v) Grantees may offer a meal to the director or site manager who is responsible for the management of the program for the charge of the state average raw food cost.
- (vi) Grantees may offer a meal to individuals providing volunteer services during the meal hours by giving the volunteer an opportunity to donate for the meal. Each grantee shall define the volunteers eligible for the meal. If the volunteer is over 60, he/she shall be counted as an eligible participant. If under the age of 60, donations shall be included in program income.
- (vii) Grantees may offer a meal to other staff (i.e., bookkeeper, secretary, nurse, homemakers, and outreach workers) for the amount of the guest charge.
- (viii) Grantees may offer a meal to children under the age of 12 accompanying their grandparents to the nutrition site for the charge of the state average raw food cost.
- (ix) Grantees offering a meal to handicapped individuals under the age of sixty (60) will be charged according to eligibility criteria in Section 1.
(c) Program income generated by a grantee will revert to the grant fund as prescribed in the Financial Management and Accounting System of the Division. - (i) Such income shall be expended first, followed by federal, state and local funds utilizing the match requirements in Chapter 5, Section 8.
(d) Intake form: - (i) Each grantee shall record the following intake information at each site for each elderly individual:
- (A) Participant's name, address and telephone number;
- (B) Date of birth; if not known, estimate of age;
- (C) Physician's name, address and telephone number;
- (D) Name, address, telephone of person to contact in case of emergency;
- (E) Handicaps, or conditions, of which staff should be aware;
- (F) Potential supportive service needs expressed by the participant and/or identified by staff;
- (I) Special dietary needs; and
- (J) Information regarding income (e.g., is personal income over or under current poverty guidelines).
- (ii) The personal record shall be obtained and kept in accordance with the following:
- (A) Participants will be informally interviewed by appropriate staff person within four (4) weeks after they have begun receiving nutrition or social services.
- (B) Personal information obtained from the interview shall be kept confidential and shall be released only with the prior written consent of participant. (A release of information form shall be developed by the Division.)
- (iii) Personal record information will not be used as a pre-requisite to program participation. If participant refuses to provide any part of information requested, this will be recorded on the in-take form.
(e) Community focal points: A community focal point shall be identified in all grants, contracts, and agreements. A facility so designated must, at a minimum: - (i) Be open five (5) days a week, Monday-Friday; between 10:00 A.M. and 2:00 P. M.;
- (ii) Provide information and assistance service;
- (iii) Primarily provide services for the elderly; and
- (iv) Preference for designation will be given to facilities that serve a meal.
(f) Contributions for meals and services: - (i) Each grantee must:
- (A) Provide each older person with an opportunity to contribute voluntarily to the cost of the meal or service;
- (B) Protect the privacy of each person with respect to these contributions;
- (C) Use all supportive services contributions only to expand or improve these services under Section 2;
- (D) Use all nutrition services' contributions only to expand or improve these services under Section 3; and
- (E) Develop a suggested contribution schedule for services and meals provided;
- (I) Income ranges must be considered in the development of the schedule.
- (II) A means test may not be used.
- (ii) A grantee that receives AoA funds shall not deny any older person meals or services because the older person will not or can not contribute the cost of such meals or services.