Signing of House Bill 1044 impacts Mt. Bethel Older Adult Social & Day Respite Program

In mid May, House Bill 1044 was signed by Governor Purdue to allow Congregational Respite Programs, like Mt. Bethel’s, to exist separately from Adult Day Cares that will require licensing by the state.

Representative Len Walker, also an Associate Minister at St. Luke UMC, spearheaded HB1044 once the realization of the 5 year journey with Georgia’s DHR decided not to exempt Congregational Programs from licensing.

Dawn Reed, Director of Mt. Bethel’s Older Adult Center, worked with Rep. Walker and other Directors of similar Congregational Respite programs to write HB1044 and create the awareness of just how different a Congregational Respite Program can be from even a social model Adult Day Care.  The main aspect of HB1044 deals with the services that a program like Mt. Bethel provides. “Respite Care Services Program” means a program for aging adults who can function in a group setting and who can feed and toilet themselves with or without the assistance of a personal aide accompanying them and which:

• Is operated by a nonprofit organization;
• Provides no more than 25 hours of services per week;
• Is managed by a director who has completed an adult day care services training and orientation program approved by the Department;
• Is staffed primarily by volunteers; and
• Has as its sole purpose to provide primary caregivers of aging adults with relief from normal care giving duties and responsibilities.

Social and medical model Adult Day Cares, that will now be licensed in the state of Georgia, offer medication assistance, assistance with ADL’s and have a staff ration of 1:8. Mt. Bethel’s program which works with trained volunteers & staff, has a ratio of 1:5.

Dawn