Rhode Island General Laws Title 42. State Affairs and Government § 42-66.6-3. Responsibilities of department

(a) Long-term care assessment. The director shall establish, with the cooperation of the director of human services, a program for making long-term care assessments as defined in § 42-66.6-2. The assessment will be provided at no cost to the person being assessed and will be carried out by individuals designated by the director as qualified to administer the assessment. The assessment will include providing information regarding appropriate community support services and residential placement alternatives. Persons receiving assessment program services will be given recommendations on the appropriate need for care. The recommendations in the assessment will not be binding and the person will have the right to choose from any options that are available.

(b) The department shall make available to persons choosing home and/or community based care, a care management services program which will provide the individual with continued guidance, supervision, and monitoring of the services procured by the client and periodic reassessment of the adequacy of the care plan in meeting the individual's long-term care needs. The director is authorized to enter into contracts with community agencies to provide these care management services and to establish a client fee schedule for care management services.

(c) The department shall develop and disseminate to all nursing facilities, residential/assisted living care facilities, hospitals, and appropriate healthcare providers information relating to the long-term care assessment program and how individuals may access the program.

(d) All persons seeking admission to or discharge from a licensed long-term care residential facility including nursing facilities and licensed residential care/assisted living facilities shall be provided with information prepared by the department about the availability of the long-term care assessment and care management program as defined in § 42-66.6-2(1). Persons seeking admission to a long-term care facility from an acute care hospital shall be provided with this information by the hospital's discharge or social service staff. Persons being admitted from or discharged to the community shall be provided this information by the admission staff on the long-term care facility. Those persons seeking admission to a long-term care facility on an emergency basis or for skilled care are exempt from this provision.