NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1973 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 1314

SENATE BILL 1246

 

 

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOME HEALTH AGENCIES.

 

Whereas, home health is defined as the provision of physician-directed nursing, rehabilitative, social and therapy services on a part-time or intermittent basis to a homebound individual in his place of residence by personnel employed by a certified home health agency; and

Whereas, the purpose of home health services is to provide the vital, community -level link in the health care continuum which is intended to promote and maintain health as well as to rehabilitate the patient to his maximum level of physical potential and/or to minimize the effects of illness and disability; and

Whereas, it has been demonstrated that the availability of home care services substantially reduces the length of hospitalization for patients of all ages with all types of illnesses; and

Whereas, in many instances home health services represent an effective, efficient and highly acceptable alternative to in-patient hospital, extended care facility or other type of institutional care; and

Whereas, there are now 52 certified home health agencies serving the residents of 65 North Carolina counties; and the residents of the remaining 35 North Carolina counties do not now have home health services available to them; and the 52 certified home health agencies which are now functioning received federal source seed monies which aided them financially during their early developmental stages; and

Whereas, it is anticipated that additional seed monies will not be available through federal funding; and the availability of State funding would facilitate the development of new home health agencies as well as allow desirable and needed expansion of services in existing home health programs; Now, therefore,

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  There is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Human Resources for fiscal year 1974-75 the sum of eighty thousand dollars ($80,000) for the purpose of assisting in the development of home health agencies in counties where such agencies do not exist.

Sec. 2.  This act shall become effective on July 1, 1974.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 12th day of April, 1974.