Bill > S357

This bill defines a "small house nursing home" as a licensed nursing facility that operates as a private home with residential kitchens and living areas, housing no more than fourteen individuals per unit, featuring only private rooms and bathrooms, and implementing a self-directed care model with collaborative decision-making and a universal worker approach to resident care, ensuring consistent staff assignments. To promote the development of these facilities, the bill establishes a task force to study and recommend strategies, including potential add-on reimbursement rates from the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy to cover construction costs, the creation of low-cost loans, and the identification of regulatory obstacles. This task force will be comprised of various state officials, including representatives from the Department of Public Health, MassHealth, Elder Affairs, legislative committees on Elder Affairs, and experts in small house nursing home development, and is required to report its findings and recommendations within 120 days of the bill's enactment.