§ 131D-32. Functions of adult care home community advisory committees.
§131D‑32. Functions of adult care home community advisory committees.
(a) The committee shallserve as the nucleus for increased community involvement with adult care homesand their residents.
(b) The committee shallpromote community education and awareness of the needs of aging and disabledpersons who reside in adult care homes, and shall work towards keeping thepublic informed about aspects of long‑term care and the operation ofadult care homes in North Carolina.
(c) The committee shalldevelop and recruit volunteer resources to enhance the quality of life foradult care home residents.
(d) The committee shallestablish linkages with the adult care home administrators and the countydepartment of social services for the purpose of maintaining the intent of theAdult Care Home Residents' Bill of Rights.
(e) Each committeeshall apprise itself of the general conditions under which the persons areresiding in the homes, and shall work for the best interests of the persons inthe homes. This may include assisting persons who have grievances with thehome and facilitating the resolution of grievances at the local level. Theidentity of any complainant or resident involved in a complaint shall not bedisclosed except as permitted under the Older Americans Act of 1965, asamended, 42 U.S.C. § 3001 et seq. The committee shall notify the enforcementagency of all verified violations of the Adult Care Home Residents' Bill ofRights.
(f) The committee orsubcommittee may communicate through the committee chair with the Department ofHealth and Human Services, the county department of social services, or anyother agency in relation to the interest of any resident.
(g) Each committeeshall quarterly visit the adult care homes with 10 or more beds it serves. For eachofficial quarterly visit, a majority of the committee members shall bepresent. A minimum of three members of the committee shall make at least onevisit annually to each other type of adult care home licensed in the county. In addition, each committee may visit the adult care homes it serves wheneverit deems it necessary to carry out its duties. In counties with subcommittees,the subcommittee assigned to a home shall perform the duties of the committeeunder this subsection, and a majority of the subcommittee members must bepresent for any visit. When visits are made to group homes for developmentallydisabled adults, rules concerning confidentiality as adopted by the Commissionfor Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Servicesshall apply.
(h) The individualmembers of the committee shall have the right between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.to enter the facility the committee serves in order to carry out the members'responsibilities. In a county where subcommittees have been established, thisright of access shall be limited to members of the subcommittee which servesthat home. A majority of the committee or subcommittee members shall bepresent to enter the facility at other hours. Before entering any adult carehome, the committee or members of the committee shall identify themselves tothe person present at the facility who is in charge of the facility at thattime.
(i) The committeeshall prepare reports as required by the Department of Health and HumanServices containing an appraisal of the problems of adult care homes facilitiesas well as issues affecting long‑term care in general. Copies of thereport shall be sent to the board of county commissioners, county department ofsocial services and the Division of Aging.
(j) Nothing containedin this section shall be construed to require the expenditure of any countyfunds to carry out the provisions in this section. (1981, c. 923, s. 1; 1983, c.88, s. 2; 1991, c. 636, s. 19(b); 1995, c. 254, s. 6; c. 535, s. 15; 1997‑443,s. 11A.118(a).)