§ 42-66-4. Duties of the office of healthy aging.
(a) The office of healthy aging shall be the principal agency of the state to mobilize
the human, physical, and financial resources available to plan, develop, and implement
innovative programs to ensure the dignity and independence of elderly persons, including
the planning, development, and implementation of a home- and long-term care program
for elderly persons in the communities of the state.
(b)(1) The office of healthy aging shall serve as an advocate for the needs of adults with
disabilities as these needs and services overlap the needs and services of elderly
persons.
(2) The office of healthy aging shall serve as the state's central agency for the administration
and coordination of a long-term care entry system, using community-based access points,
that will provide the following services related to long-term care: information and
referral; initial screening for service and benefits eligibility; and a uniform assessment
program for state-supported long-term care.
(3) The office of healthy aging shall investigate reports of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation,
or self-neglect and shall provide and/or coordinate protective services.
(c) To accomplish these objectives, the director is authorized:
(1) To provide assistance to communities in solving local problems with regard to elderly
persons including, but not limited to, problems in identifying and coordinating local
resources to serve the needs of elderly persons;
(2) To facilitate communications and the free flow of information between communities
and the offices, agencies, and employees of the state;
(3) To encourage and assist communities, agencies, and state departments to plan, develop,
and implement home- and long-term care programs;
(4) To provide and act as a clearinghouse for information, data, and other materials relative
to elderly persons;
(5) To initiate and carry out studies and analyses that will aid in solving local, regional,
and statewide problems concerning elderly persons;
(6) To coordinate those programs of other state agencies designed to assist in the solution
of local, regional, and statewide problems concerning elderly persons;
(7) To advise and inform the governor on the affairs and problems of elderly persons in
the state;
(8) To exercise the powers and discharge the duties assigned to the director in the fields
of health care, nutrition, homemaker services, geriatric day care, economic opportunity,
local and regional planning, transportation, and education and pre-retirement programs;
(9) To further the cooperation of local, state, federal, and private agencies and institutions
providing for services or having responsibility for elderly persons;
(10) To represent and act on behalf of the state in connection with federal grant programs
applicable to programs for elderly persons in the functional areas described in this
chapter;
(11) To seek, accept, and otherwise take advantage of all federal aid available to the
office of healthy aging, and to assist other agencies of the state, local agencies,
and community groups in taking advantage of all federal grants and subventions available
for elderly persons and to accept other sources of funds with the approval of the
director of administration that shall be deposited as general revenues;
(12) To render advice and assistance to communities and other groups in the preparation
and submission of grant applications to state and federal agencies relative to programs
for elderly persons;
(13) To review and coordinate those activities of agencies of the state and of any political
suboffice of healthy aging of the state at the request of the suboffice of healthy
aging, that affect the full and fair utilization of community resources for programs
for elderly persons, and initiate programs that will help ensure such utilization;
(14) To encourage the formation of councils on aging and to assist local communities in
the development of the councils;
(15) To promote and coordinate daycare facilities for frail elderly persons who are in
need of supportive care and supervision during the daytime;
(16) To provide and coordinate the delivery of in-home services to elderly persons, as
defined under the rules and regulations adopted by the office of healthy aging;
(17) To advise and inform the public of the risks of accidental hypothermia;
(18) To establish a clearinghouse for information and education of the elderly citizens
of the state, including, but not limited to, and subject to available funding, a web-based
caregiver support information center;
(19) [As amended by P.L. 2019, ch. 110, § 2.] To establish and operate, in collaboration with the departments of behavioral health,
developmental disabilities and hospitals; human services; and children youth and families
regular community agencies supporting caregivers, a statewide family-caregiver support
association and a family-caregiver resource network to provide and coordinate family-caregiver
training and support services to include counseling and elder caregiver respite services,
which shall be subject to available funding, and include home health/homemaker care,
adult day services, assisted living, and nursing facility care; and
(19) [As amended by P.L. 2019, ch. 130, § 2.] To establish and operate, in collaboration with the department of behavioral healthcare,
developmental disabilities and hospitals; the department of human services; the department
of children, youth and families, and community agencies supporting caregivers, a statewide
family-caregiver support association and a family-caregiver resource network to provide
and coordinate family-caregiver training and support services to include counseling
and caregiver respite services, which shall be subject to available funding, and include
home health/homemaker care, adult day services, assisted living, and nursing facility
care; and
(20) To supervise the citizens' commission for the safety and care of the elderly created
pursuant to the provisions of chapter 1.4 of title 12.
(d) In order to assist in the discharge of the duties of the office of healthy aging,
the director may request from any agency of the state information pertinent to the
affairs and problems of elderly persons.
(e) There is hereby established within the general fund of the state and housed within
the budget of the office of healthy aging a restricted receipt account entitled "commodity
supplemental food program-claims� to account for funds collected in payment of claims
for donated food losses, pursuant to United States Department of Agriculture guidelines
under the commodity supplemental food program. Expenditures from this account shall
be utilized by the office solely for the following purposes:
(i) Purchase of replacement foods;
(ii) Payment of administrative costs;
(iii) Replacement of lost or improperly used funds;
(iv) For use as a salvage account in compliance with federal regulations.