In this part the following words have the meanings indicated. “Community services” means household and personal services provided for an elderly individual under the direction and supervision of an appropriate social services or health agency. “Community services” includes assistance with: meal preparation and planning; home-delivered meal services; dressing; shopping; visits to health, recreational, and shopping facilities; transportation and personal escort services; light housekeeping; and personal medical and nursing care related to the provision of community services. “Elderly individual” means an individual at least 65 years old and the individual’s spouse, regardless of the spouse’s age.

It is the policy of the State that elderly individuals in the State should have access to a comprehensive range of community services to enable them to remain in their own homes or other independent living arrangements consistent with their desires, abilities, and safety. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the community services provided under this subtitle shall be available to all elderly individuals, but that those elderly individuals who are financially able to do so shall pay all or a portion of the costs of the community services.

With the advice, cooperation, and assistance of the Department of Aging and the Maryland Department of Health, the Department shall administer a system of community services to serve as an effective alternative to inappropriate institutional care for elderly individuals.

To carry out the system of community services required under this part, the Department or its designee shall: adopt regulations, including standards and means for reimbursement from elderly individuals financially able to pay for all or part of the services provided; monitor continuously the effectiveness of the system and perform evaluative research through the Department of Aging; contract, where feasible and desirable, with governmental units, private nonprofit organizations, and volunteer groups to provide community services and group nutritional dining services; provide funds to train individuals to perform community services and for administrative costs of the system; and use, to the extent available, grants from federal, State, and other public or private sources to fund the system.

To the extent possible, the Department shall train and utilize elderly individuals to perform community services. Elderly individuals compensated for performing community services are not subject to the State Personnel Management System or any merit system of a political subdivision. The Department has sole authority for determining all conditions of employment and rates of compensation.

In this part the following words have the meanings indicated. “CARE Program” means the Certified Adult Residential Environment Program. “Individual with a disability” means an adult who requires a supportive housing arrangement to reside in the community because of a physical, medical, or mental disability. “Individual with a disability” does not include an adult whose disability is so severe or complex as to require specialized professional intervention as part of the supportive housing arrangement. “Supportive housing arrangement” means a housing arrangement that provides an individual with room, board, and assistance with the activities of daily living.

The General Assembly finds and declares that: an increasing number of adults in the State are unable, because of disability, to reside in the community without a supportive housing arrangement; many of these adults are therefore homeless, unnecessarily institutionalized, or residing in substandard housing; and current State-operated programs do not adequately address this problem. It is the policy of the State to encourage the development of affordable housing for adults who are unable to avail themselves of existing housing because of disability.

There is a CARE Program in the Department. The purpose of the CARE Program is to provide housing and related services for individuals with disabilities.

In accordance with the State budget, the CARE Program shall provide for: the development of CARE housing; case management to individuals with disabilities residing in CARE housing; and supportive services for individuals with disabilities residing in CARE housing.

The Department of Human Services, the Department of Education, the Maryland Department of Health, and the Department of Aging shall provide appropriate ancillary services to individuals with disabilities in the CARE Program subject to programmatic eligibility and priority criteria and budgetary resources. The Secretary of Human Services, the Secretary of Health, the Secretary of Aging, and the State Superintendent of Schools shall: coordinate departmental programs to ensure that the services needed by individuals with disabilities residing in CARE housing are provided in an integrated and cost–effective manner; and prepare and enter into a written memorandum of agreement that specifies the services to be provided by each departmental program and the integration and timing of the delivery of the services. The Department may adopt regulations to carry out the CARE Program.

Eligibility for services under the CARE Program does not preclude eligibility for other services. The CARE Program may not serve an individual with a disability who is not a resident of the State when the application for service is made.