Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 2 - Division of Aging and Adult Services › Chapter 1 - State Plan on Aging › Section 18-2-1-VI - Consumer Control and Choice

Current through June 25, 2024
The MDHS DAAS will empower older people in the state to stay
				  healthy and active through the Older Americans Act services and the new
				  prevention benefits under Medicare by educating the public on new Medicare
				  preventive health reform changes. Additionally, MDHS DAAS will continue to
				  ensure the rights of older people and prevent abuse, neglect and exploitation.
				  By expanding and enhancing the Long-term Care Ombudsman Program's advocacy and
				  education on long-term issues, older persons will live with dignity by
				  promoting senior's rights and reducing abuse, neglect and exploitation. The
				  respect for residents is the fundamental quality to ensuring quality of life;
				  therefore the Ombudsman Program is partnered with the Division of Medicaid to
				  implement the revision of the Minimum Data Set (MDS 3.0) for Nursing Homes that
				  took effect October 1, 2010. The MDS 3.0 gives residents a voice through the
				  direct interview items on the assessment form.
Mississippi recognizes the importance of consumer directed
				  care and is working on an initiative through the Aging and Disability Resource
				  Center (ADRC) that will create a partnership between the Aging network and the
				  health care industry. DAAS is working with one Area Agency on Aging (AAA) in
				  the central part of the state as a pilot site for a Care Transitions program
				  and a Veteran Directed Home and Community Based Services program. Through a
				  Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the AAA pilot site will work with a local
				  healthcare provider and a local hospital. The hospital will refer patients that
				  are being discharged with diabetes and another chronic condition to the AAA.
				  The AAA will work with the client to identify a chronic disease self management
				  program workshop where the client will learn how to improve their quality of
				  life. The client will also be assigned a community health worker to identify
				  the services needed to remain independent. The community health worker will be
				  a trained options counselor through a partnership with a local university
				  (Jackson State University). In addition to the community health worker, the AAA
				  will hire a registered nurse to complete annual wellness visits to all Medicare
				  eligible clients to develop a preventive health plan. The preventive health
				  plan will identify services the client needs to remain independent and out of a
				  long-term care facility. The services available include all Title III support
				  services, home delivered meals, and congregate meals.
The care transitions pilot project is designed to leverage
				  resources in the Aging network and health care industry to reduce hospital
				  readmissions and overall health care costs by reducing institutional placement.
				  The partnerships created will enhance the ADRC and create sustainability for
				  the CDSMP.
Mississippi is also working with the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery
				  VA Medical Center on a Veteran Directed Home and Community Based Services
				  program to provide consumer directed care to veterans. The VA will refer
				  clients to the local AAA for home and community based services. The partnership
				  will increase the number of veterans receiving care without duplication of care
				  services. The AAA and VA will work through a MOU to define eligibility
				  criteria. Eligible veterans will choose needed services and will work with the
				  local AAA's care coordinator to design a plan within the allocated budget. The
				  program will decrease institutional placement and increase the veteran's
				  quality of life.