Assisted Living National Program Guidelines 2022 to 2023

Table of contents

1. Introduction

1.1 These guidelines set out the delivery requirements and standards for funding recipients of the Assisted Living Program that have a funding agreement with Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) (formerly Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada).

1.2 This document will be in effect as of April 1, 2022 and replaces the Assisted Living National Program Guidelines published in previous fiscal years.

1.3 This document is to be read in conjunction with the funding agreement signed by the funding recipient, as well as ISC's regional office program manuals or guidance. These documents provide information about provincial and territorial services, supports and rates to help funding recipients align the delivery of services and supports with those of provincial and territorial programs, where applicable. These documents can be requested using contact information in section 14.

For funding recipients working on Disabilities Initiative projects, this document should be read in conjunction with their ISC approved proposal and work plans.

1.4 Where ISC has entered into agreements with the provinces, the obligations set out in the agreements, and as amended from time to time, are to be read first and take precedence over the delivery requirements and standards of the Assisted Living Program, as explained in this document.

2. Objective

The Assisted Living Program is a component of Canada's social safety net meant to align with similar provincial and territorial programs.

The objective of the program is that in-home, group-home and institutional care supports are accessible to eligible low-income individuals to help maintain their independence for as long as possible in their home communities.

This residency-based program provides funding to First Nations, provinces and Yukon on an annual basis through negotiated funding agreements for non-medical social supports, as well as training and support for service delivery so that seniors and persons with disabilities can maintain functional independence within their home communities.

3. Expected outcomes

The ultimate outcome for the Assisted Living Program is that eligible individuals have the ability to maintain functional independence within their home communities. In order to achieve this, the Assisted Living Program also supports the development of capacity of First Nations communities to deliver assisted living social support services, to:

4. Funding recipients

A funding recipient means an individual or entity that has met the eligibility criteria of the program and has signed a funding agreement with ISC to deliver an initiative (program, service or activity).

4.1 Eligibility criteria

Eligible funding recipients for the delivery of in-home care, adult foster care and institutional social supports are:

Eligible funding recipients for the delivery of projects and activities under the Disabilities Initiative are:

4.2 Assessment criteria for funding recipients

In order to receive funding for the Assisted Living Program, the following criteria will be assessed.

To deliver the In-Home Care component, funding recipients must have:

For Adult Foster Care and Institutional Care components, funding recipients must:

Additional information to help with the determination of comparability to programs and services of the reference province or territory can be found in section 16.

5. Program recipients, clients and individuals

A program recipient is referred to as a client or an individual throughout this document. A client is the ultimate beneficiary of assisted living services. An individual has not yet been determined as eligible for services (for example, during the application and eligibility determination phase).

Once an individual has been found eligible or approved to receive services through the Assisted Living Program, they become a client.

5.1 Eligibility requirements

5.1.1 For in-home care, adult foster care and institutional components, clients must be:

5.1.2 Ordinarily resident on reserve

Ordinarily resident on reserve means that a client has, at the time of applying for a care assessment, demonstrated that he or she:

or

For the Assisted Living Program, reserve is as defined in the Indian Act, includes the Yukon and excludes lands which have been designated for commercial purposes (for First Nations operating under the Indian Act) or leased for commercial purposes (for First Nations operating under the First Nations Land Management Act).

5.1.3 A student who is registered and attending a secondary or post-secondary institution or training program and who is in receipt of education funding from the federal government, a band or Indigenous organization continues to be considered ordinarily resident on-reserve if he or she:

or

or

5.1.4 Services provided to individuals residing off reserve may only be funded when:

Funding for in-home care services is not provided for individuals ordinarily residing off reserve.

5.1.5 Residency status is determined at the time an individual applies for assessment and follows the client until he or she no longer requires assisted living social supports

Individuals, who are ordinarily resident on reserve and relocate to another reserve to be admitted to an on-reserve institutional care facility, will be considered to be ordinarily resident on reserve and eligible to receive funding from the reserve of origin for the Assisted Living Program services for institutional care.

5.2 Minimum required documentation for clients

Funding decisions require that the administrators collect and keep information that supports the eligibility of the expenditures and the management of a client's circumstances. Refer to the applicable funding agreement for the specific requirements of record keeping.

In accordance with the record keeping requirements set out in the funding agreement, administrators are required to keep information that is collected from all current and prospective clients, whether or not they are eligible for services, including:

5.3. The types of information that are used to assess and confirm the needs and eligibility of an individual and their related expenditures are:

In addition, administrators are required to verify and cross reference the funding recipient's information from other programs to the individual's application, to ensure that there is no duplication of supports and benefits, when considered as a whole. The types of information to consider include:

5.4 Documentation for program management activities

There are several key activities that form the overall management of program expenditures. The minimum requirements for documenting key program management activities are outlined in detail below.

Additional ISC regional office requirements for documenting key program management activities may also apply. Please contact your regional office to confirm whether additional requirements apply.

When determining an individual's eligibility for the Assisted Living Program, the administrator must:

When the individual is not in receipt of income assistance benefits at the time of applying for assisted living supports or services, the verifications of eligibility outlined in sections 5.4.4 and 5.4.5 of this document must be completed and documented in the individual's file before providing any assisted living services to the individual.

5.4.1. Application form

An application must be completed in full and contain all of the following information and supporting documentation before issuing benefits to the individual:

Dates can be of any form including electronically date stamped from a system or manually entered.

Applications must be updated annually or as changes in financial circumstances and need for assisted living social supports occur.

5.4.2. Primary residence

The administrator must confirm that the individual is ordinarily resident on reserve before issuing benefits. The requirements for ordinarily resident on reserve are set out in this document.

Documentation containing the current home address for the individual and each dependent must be kept in the individual's file.

The documentation must contain the current home address on at least one of the following pieces of information:

When the documentation listed above cannot be obtained, a band council resolution verifying the individual's residency on reserve may be accepted by ISC. However, there must be evidence on file that other sources of identification are unavailable.

5.4.3. Identity verification

Within 60 days of the date of the initial application, the administrator must confirm the identity of the individual as listed in the application and ensure that copies of each person's identification are placed on file. The individual applying for assistance has up to 60 days to provide proof of identification for the individual and legal guardian if applicable.

If after 60 days of the date of initial application, the individual has not provided identity documentation for the individual and legal guardian if applicable, he or she will be ineligible to receive benefits. However, if the individual demonstrates that he or she is actively pursuing the missing identity documentation, the administrator may extend the 60 day period until it is received. In this situation, it is important that the administrator note in the individual's file the efforts made by the individual to obtain the missing documentation.

5.4.4. Financial needs assessment

A clear demonstration of financial need, taking into consideration all financial resources available to the individual and household, must be obtained from the individual before issuing benefits to the individual.

This means that before issuing benefits the administrator must verify the individual's financial need by:

Personal property and assets identified in the financial needs assessment should be evaluated and assessed in a manner that aligns with the reference province or territory of residence.

The financial needs assessment must include copies and verification of the supporting documentation for the individual and household:

5.4.4.1 Budget and decision sheets

Budget and decision sheets must:

5.4.5. Documentation to support the financial need assessment

The following documentation, supporting the financial need assessment must always be in the file:

When, by exception, someone is unable to meet a mandatory requirement, a record of ongoing efforts to obtain the documentation or an explanation of why it cannot be obtained must always be clearly documented in the file.

In addition to the mandatory documentation described above, the following additional sources of documentation can be used to document the individual and their family circumstances:

5.4.6. Formal assessment for non-medical social support

The formal assessment for non-medical services (original or a copy of the original) must be on file and must be completed by a health or social professional and include the following:

5.4.7. Expenditure documentation

Expenditures require supporting documentation and information.

When reimbursing expenditures, the following requirements apply:

5.4.8. Licensing and accreditation guidelines

For adult foster care and institutional care, documentation confirming that the care home or facility operates according to the licensing, recognition or accreditation guidelines of the relevant province or territory is required.

Examples of documentation include a copy of the license provided by the reference province or territory or a letter from the province or territory confirming that the facility meets licensing standards.

6. Activities

6.1 There are 3 components available through the Assisted Living Program.

6.1.1 All 3 program components respond to 3 distinct and progressively intensive care needs:

Provinces and territories are responsible for providing higher levels (for example, Types III, IV and V) of institutional care on and off reserve.

Type I and II levels of care: the definitions of care are based on:

Type I care is residential care for persons requiring primarily supervision and assistance with daily living activities and social and recreational services: 30 to 90 minutes therapeutic and personal care or supervision daily.

Type II care is extended care for persons requiring availability of personal care on a 24-hour basis, under medical and nursing supervision: 90 to 150 minutes care or supervision.

Additional information to help with the determination of comparability to programs and services of the reference province or territory can be found in section 16.

6.1.2 Funding recipients who deliver the Assisted Living Program receive resources to support the administration of the program

6.1.3 For disabilities initiative projects to improve the coordination and accessibility of existing disability programs and community services to persons living on reserve, eligible activities for funding recipients are set out in the funding recipient's approved work plan or proposal

7. Expenditures

ISC funds the Assisted Living Program supports and services for clients that are aligned with the requirements outlined in this document and with the eligibility criteria and rates established by the reference province or territory. Assisted living funding can be used for eligible service delivery expenditures.

7.1 Guiding principles

Where it is not clear whether or not a particular service would be eligible for funding under the Assisted Living Program, the following guiding principles should be considered:

7.2 The in-home care component provides funding support for non-medical support services

These services include:

7.3. The adult foster care component provides funding support for supervision and care to individuals unable to live on their own due to physical, cognitive or psychological limitations and who do not need continuous medical attention

Before client expenses in adult foster care can be reimbursed, eligible funding recipients must verify that the adult foster home:

7.4. The institutional care component of the program provides funding support for individuals requiring Types I and II care in institutions operating according to provincial or territorial laws and standards both on and off reserve

7.4.1. Provinces and territories are responsible for providing funding for higher levels (for example, Types III, IV and V) of institutional care on and off reserve

7.4.2. Co-payment and user fees

Clients residing in an institution are expected to pay the provincial or territorial government established co-insurance or user fee for care, maintenance, clothing and personal expenses to the extent that they are financially able to do so. This may require using or assigning income received from alternate income-support programs (for example, Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement, Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance, and personal income from all sources).

7.4.3 Eligible institutional care expenditures:

Specialized medical and capital items are not eligible expenditures.

7.4.4 Eligible service delivery expenses

Eligible expenditures to support the administration of the Assisted Living Program are:

7.4.5. For the proposal-based disability initiative, eligible program expenditures are set out in the approved work plan or proposal referred to in the funding agreement

8. Funding

8.1 Maximum amount of funding

The maximum amount of funding to be provided to a funding recipient in a fiscal year is set out in the funding agreement signed by the funding recipient.

8.2 Stacking limits and duplication of funding

The maximum funding that will be provided to a funding recipient are 100% of the eligible costs associated with a particular program (activity, initiative or project) to be funded.

A funding recipient is required to declare any and all sources of funding for the program that are expected to be received or that are received, including all funding from the Government of Canada and from provincial, territorial and municipal governments. Annual financial reporting must show all sources of funding received.

Provision for repayment will be made when ISC's contribution is in excess of $100,000 and when funding from all sources exceeds eligible expenditures. Funding recipients must provide ISC with information showing the amount to be repaid and the basis for calculating that amount. The reimbursement should be proportionate to ISC's contribution, expressed as a percentage of the total funding obtained by the funding recipient from all government sources for that program.

9. Reporting requirements and monitoring and oversight activities

9.1 The reporting requirements (program and financial reports) and their respective due dates are listed in the recipient's funding agreement, and details on these requirements are available in the Reporting Guide.

9.2 All funding recipient reporting requirements are subject to monitoring and oversight activities to determine the accuracy of the information provided to ISC.

10. Personal information

10.1 The collection and use of personal information and other records for the purposes of program compliance reviews will be limited to what is necessary to ensure program delivery requirements are met, in accordance with the Privacy Act.

10.2 ISC is responsible for all information and records in its possession. The confidentiality of the information will be managed by ISC in accordance with the Privacy Act and other related policies on privacy. Funding recipients are responsible for the protection of personal information per the privacy legislation, regulations and policies that govern them up to the point that it is transferred to ISC.

10.3 Funding recipients must develop and implement by-laws, policies and procedures to protect personal information collected in the course of complying with the program delivery requirements, from unauthorized access, use or disclosure.

11. Accountability

11.1 ISC is committed to providing assistance to recipients in order for them to effectively carry out obligations set out in this document and funding agreements.

11.2 Funding recipients must:

11.3 Funding recipients have a responsibility to ensure that program administrators are properly trained and possess the skills and knowledge to deliver the programs.

12. Official languages

Funding recipients are responsible for providing access to services in both English and French in compliance with the requirements of Part IV of the Official Languages Act.

13. Definitions

13.1 For the purposes of this document, the definitions in the Indian Act and the funding agreement apply.

13.2 Additional definitions

Additional definitions necessary to interpret the delivery requirements and standards set out in this document include:

administrator
the person who has been delegated responsibility by a funding recipient to carry out functions on behalf of the funding recipient
age of majority
the age at which a person is granted the rights and responsibilities of an adult in accordance with provincial or territorial legislation
child
a person under the age of majority in the relevant province or territory
family
as defined in the relevant province or territory
client
a person who ultimately receives the benefit of programs or services funded by ISC
funding agreement
a written agreement or documentation between the Government of Canada and a funding recipient setting out the obligations of both with respect to 1 or more grants or contributions
funding recipient
an individual or entity that has met the eligibility criteria of the program and has signed a funding agreement with ISC to deliver an initiative (program, service or activity)

14. Contact information

You can contact your regional offices.

You can also write to:

Manager, Assisted Living
Indigenous Services Canada
10 rue Wellington
Gatineau QC K1A 0H4

15. Related links

For further program information, please consult: Assisted Living Program.

16. Summary of federal classification system for institutional care

This section summarizes:

It is provided as a reference to help determine reasonable comparability among similar services and programs.

When it is not clear which type of care a patient falls into, the patient should be treated as the higher, more specialized type of care. For example, if it cannot be determined whether a patient is Type  II or Type III, the patient should be treated as Type III.

16.1. Generally, Type I care is required by a person who:

The period of time during which care is required is indeterminate and related to individual condition.

Operationally, Type I care is residential care for persons requiring primarily supervision and assistance with daily living activities and social and recreational services: 30 to 90 minutes therapeutic and personal care or supervision daily.

16.2 Type II care is required by a person with a relatively stabilized physical or mental chronic disease or functional disability who:

Operationally, Type II care is extended care for persons requiring availability of personal care on a 24-hour basis, under medical and nursing supervision: 90 to 150 minutes care or supervision.

16.3 Type III care is required by a person person:

Operationally, Type III is chronic care for persons who require a range of therapeutic services, medical management and skilled nursing care: minimum 2.5 hours care and supervision.

16.4 Type IV care is required by a person:

Operationally, Type IV is rehabilitative care to restore or improve functional ability and may require psychiatric treatment along with physical restoration. When rehabilitation treatments are the primary focus of the overall treatment plan, rather than just a part of it, the type of care is definitely Type IV.

16.5 Type V is required by a person who:

Operationally, Type V is acute care for persons who present a need for investigation, diagnosis or treatment and who are critically, acutely or seriously ill or convalescing in rehabilitative centers and acute care hospitals.

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