AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

2008 BH "Dear Administrator" Letters

December 31, 2008

ADSA: BH #2008-023
TRANSFER/DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS

Dear Boarding Home Administrator:

In February 2006 we sent all boarding homes a letter explaining the transfer and discharge requirements.  The purpose of this letter is to remind you of the boarding home’s responsibilities related to the transfer/discharge of any resident.

You are responsible to be familiar and follow the state requirements related to transfer and discharge.  Those requirements can be found in RCW 70.129.110, RCW 70.129.030, RCW 18.20.300, WAC 388-78A-2050, WAC 388-78A-2660, and WAC 388-78A-2710.  RCW 18.20.440 also has notice requirements for boarding homes that withdraw from the Medicaid program.

In any discharge notice, the department expects you to include the location (place/facility name and address) where the resident will be discharged.  Your entry of a location cannot just be “a boarding home” or “a homeless shelter.”

Before you consider discharging a resident, you must reasonably accommodate the resident’s needs.  (RCW 70.129.110)  Reasonable accommodation will be different for each resident and will be dependent upon the facts of the case.  If your boarding home discharges a resident because the home is “unable to meet the resident’s needs”, you must be able to show specifically why the boarding home cannot meet those needs.  You need to know enough about the resident before admission to know if you and your boarding home are able to provide the care and services needed by the resident.  (WAC 388-78A-2050)

As you know, you must notify residents when you start the transfer/discharge process.  Under normal circumstances, the boarding home that initiates the transfer/discharge of a resident must give the resident a minimum of thirty days notice of the transfer/discharge (RCW 70.129.110; WAC 388-78A-2710).  If your boarding home voluntarily decreases the scope of services and the decrease will result in the discharge of one or more residents, you must provide ninety day’s written notice of the decrease in services (RCW 18.20.300; WAC 388-78A-2710). 

You may use any transfer or discharge notice form that includes all of the required elements in RCW 70.129.110(5). 

If you have any questions about discharge and transfer requirements, please contact your local RCS Field Manager.

Sincerely,

Joyce Pashley Stockwell, Director
Residential Care Services

Enclosure