Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

     (1) "Adult family home" means a home licensed under chapter 70.128 RCW.

     (2) "Adult residential care" means services provided by a boarding home that is licensed under chapter 18.20 RCW and that has a contract with the department under RCW 74.39A.020 to provide personal care services.

     (3) "Assisted living services" means services provided by a boarding home that has a contract with the department under RCW 74.39A.010 to provide personal care services, intermittent nursing services, and medication administration services, and the resident is housed in a private apartment-like unit.

     (4) "Boarding home" means a facility licensed under chapter 18.20 RCW.

     (5) "Cost-effective care" means care provided in a setting of an individual's choice that is necessary to promote the most appropriate level of physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being consistent with client choice, in an environment that is appropriate to the care and safety needs of the individual, and such care cannot be provided at a lower cost in any other setting. But this in no way precludes an individual from choosing a different residential setting to achieve his or her desired quality of life.

     (6) "Department" means the department of social and health services.

     (7) "Enhanced adult residential care" means services provided by a boarding home that is licensed under chapter 18.20 RCW and that has a contract with the department under RCW 74.39A.010 to provide personal care services, intermittent nursing services, and medication administration services.

     (8) "Functionally disabled person" or "person who is functionally disabled" is synonymous with chronic functionally disabled and means a person who because of a recognized chronic physical or mental condition or disease, including chemical dependency, is impaired to the extent of being dependent upon others for direct care, support, supervision, or monitoring to perform activities of daily living. "Activities of daily living", in this context, means self-care abilities related to personal care such as bathing, eating, using the toilet, dressing, and transfer. Instrumental activities of daily living may also be used to assess a person's functional abilities as they are related to the mental capacity to perform activities in the home and the community such as cooking, shopping, house cleaning, doing laundry, working, and managing personal finances.

     (9) "Home and community services" means adult family homes, in-home services, and other services administered or provided by contract by the department directly or through contract with area agencies on aging or similar services provided by facilities and agencies licensed by the department.

     (10) "Long-term care" is synonymous with chronic care and means care and supports delivered indefinitely, intermittently, or over a sustained time to persons of any age disabled by chronic mental or physical illness, disease, chemical dependency, or a medical condition that is permanent, not reversible or curable, or is long-lasting and severely limits their mental or physical capacity for self-care. The use of this definition is not intended to expand the scope of services, care, or assistance by any individuals, groups, residential care settings, or professions unless otherwise expressed by law.

     (11)(a) "Long-term care workers" includes all persons who are long-term care workers for the elderly or persons with disabilities, including but not limited to individual providers of home care services, direct care employees of home care agencies, providers of home care services to persons with developmental disabilities under Title 71 RCW, all direct care workers in state-licensed boarding homes, assisted living facilities, and adult family homes, respite care providers, community residential service providers, and any other direct care worker providing home or community-based services to the elderly or persons with functional disabilities or developmental disabilities.

     (b) "Long-term care workers" do not include persons employed in nursing homes subject to chapter 18.51 RCW, hospitals or other acute care settings, hospice agencies subject to chapter 70.127 RCW, adult day care centers, and adult day health care centers.

     (12) "Nursing home" means a facility licensed under chapter 18.51 RCW.

     (13) "Secretary" means the secretary of social and health services.

     (14) "Training partnership" means a joint partnership or trust established and maintained jointly by the office of the governor and the exclusive bargaining representative of individual providers under RCW 74.39A.270 to provide training, peer mentoring, and examinations required under this chapter, and educational, career development, or other services to individual providers.

     (15) "Tribally licensed boarding home" means a boarding home licensed by a federally recognized Indian tribe which home provides services similar to boarding homes licensed under chapter 18.20 RCW.

[2007 c 361 § 2; 2004 c 142 § 14; 1997 c 392 § 103.]

NOTES:

     Construction -- 2007 c 361: "The provisions of this act are to be liberally construed to effectuate the intent, policies, and purposes of this act." [2007 c 361 § 11.]

Severability -- 2007 c 361: "If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [2007 c 361 § 12.]

     Captions not law -- 2007 c 361: "Captions used in this act are not any part of the law." [2007 c 361 § 15.]

     Short title -- 2007 c 361: "This act may be known and cited as the establishing quality in long-term care services act." [2007 c 361 § 16.]

     Effective dates -- 2004 c 142: See note following RCW 18.20.020.

     Short title -- 1997 c 392: "This act shall be known and may be cited as the Clara act." [1997 c 392 § 101.]

     Findings -- 1997 c 392: "The legislature finds and declares that the state's current fragmented categorical system for administering services to persons with disabilities and the elderly is not client and family-centered and has created significant organizational barriers to providing high quality, safe, and effective care and support. The present fragmented system results in uncoordinated enforcement of regulations designed to protect the health and safety of disabled persons, lacks accountability due to the absence of management information systems' client tracking data, and perpetuates difficulty in matching client needs and services to multiple categorical funding sources.

     The legislature further finds that Washington's chronically functionally disabled population of all ages is growing at a rapid pace due to a population of the very old and increased incidence of disability due in large measure to technological improvements in acute care causing people to live longer. Further, to meet the significant and growing long-term care needs into the near future, rapid, fundamental changes must take place in the way we finance, organize, and provide long-term care services to the chronically functionally disabled.

     The legislature further finds that the public demands that long-term care services be safe, client and family-centered, and designed to encourage individual dignity, autonomy, and development of the fullest human potential at home or in other residential settings, whenever practicable." [1997 c 392 § 102.]

     Construction -- Conflict with federal requirements -- 1997 c 392: "Any section or provision of this act that may be susceptible to more than one construction shall be interpreted in favor of the construction most likely to comply with federal laws entitling this state to receive federal funds for the various programs of the department of health or the department of social and health services. If any section of this act is found to be in conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition of the allocation of federal funds to the state, or to any departments or agencies thereof, the conflicting part is declared to be inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict. The rules issued under this act shall meet federal requirements that are a necessary condition to the receipt of federal funds by the state." [1997 c 392 § 504.]

     Part headings and captions not law -- 1997 c 392: "Part headings and captions used in this act are not part of the law." [1997 c 392 § 531.]