§ 6500.4. Definitions.
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
Agency—A person or legally constituted organization administering one or more life sharing homes.
Autism—A developmental disorder defined by the edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or its successor, in effect at the time the diagnosis is made. The term includes autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder and autism spectrum disorder.
Department—The Department of Human Services of the Commonwealth.
Direct service worker—A person whose primary job function is to provide services to an individual who resides in the home.
Health care practitioner—A person who is authorized to prescribe medications under a license, registration or certification by the Department of State.
Individual—(i) A person with an intellectual disability or autism who resides, or receives residential respite care, in a life sharing home and who is not a relative of the owner or the family members.
(ii) The term does not include family members.
Individual plan—A coordinated and integrated description of activities and services for an individual.
Intellectual disability—Subaverage general intellectual functioning which originates during the developmental period and is associated with impairment of one or more of the following:
(i) Maturation.
(ii) Learning.
(iii) Social adjustment.
Life sharing home or home—
(i) The private home of an individual or a family in which residential care is provided to one or two individuals with an intellectual disability or autism, except as provided in § 6500.3(f) (relating to applicability).
(ii) The term does not include a home if there are more than two individuals, including respite care individuals, living in the home at any one time who are not family members or relatives of the family members.
(iii) If relatives of the individual live in the home, the total number of people living in the home at any one time who are not family members or relatives of the family members may not exceed four.
Relative—A parent, child, stepparent, stepchild, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew.
Respite care—Temporary care not to exceed 31 calendar days for an individual in a calendar year.
Restraint—A physical, chemical or mechanical intervention used to control acute, episodic behavior that restricts the movement or function of the individual or a portion of the individual’s body, including an intervention approved as part of the individual plan or used on an emergency basis.
Services—Actions or assistance provided to the individual to support the achievement of an outcome.
Authority The provisions of this § 6500.4 amended under sections 201(2), 403(b), 403.1(a) and (b), Articles IX and X of the Human Services Code (62 P.S. § § 201(2), 403(b), 403.1(a) and (b), 901—922 and 1001—1088); and section 201(2) of the Mental Health and Intellectual Disability Act of 1966 (50 P.S. § 4201(2)).
Source The provisions of this § 6500.4 amended August 27, 2010, effective August 28, 2010, 40 Pa.B. 4935; amended June 17, 2016, effective June 18, 2016, 46 Pa.B. 3177; amended October 4, 2019, effective in 120 days, 49 Pa.B. 5777. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (382008) to (382010).
Cross References This section cited in 55 Pa. Code § 6500.12 (relating to waivers).
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