ATTACHMENT 1 CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY FOR TEMPORARY LODGING OR HOPTEL.pdf

CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY FOR TEMPORARY LODGING OR HOPTEL

1. Potentially Eligible to Stay in Temporary Lodging. The following are potentially eligible to stay in temporary lodging:

a. A veteran with an appointment at a VA health care facility for the purpose of receiving health care or a Compensation and Pension (C&P) examination who meets the criteria specified in 4.b, and

b. A member of the family of such veteran or another person (i.e. caregiver) who accompanies the veteran to provide the equivalent of familial support (hereafter referred to as family members and/or caregivers).

c. When applicable, a living organ donor and the support person who accompanies the donor to the pre-transplant evaluation appointments, the transplant episode, and post-transplant follow-up appointments may be lodged.

d. Family members and/or caregivers may not reside in temporary lodging facilities without the veteran. VITA may not use medical care funds to pay for temporary lodging in the community for family members unaccompanied by the veteran. If a veteran staying in temporary lodging with a family member is admitted to an inpatient bed, alternative lodging arrangements must be made for the family member through a referral to a social worker. Such alternatives are to be at the expense of the family member or through donated funds in a General Post Fund account.

e. Minor children may not be accommodated in temporary lodging facilities on VA grounds, with the exception of Fisher Houses.

f. The only exception to part (d) is if the family member has been accepted into the VISN 15 Cardio Thoracic Surgery program by Truman VA. Then the caregiver is allowed to stay in the temporary lodging facility without the veteran for up to five (5) days, with the option to extend if the length of stay is medically necessary for the veterans’ health. This must be documented in the veterans chart by the Cardio Thoracic physicians.

2. Provision of Temporary Lodging and/or Hoptel Services

a. Temporary lodging may be provided the night before the day of the scheduled care and/or the night of the scheduled care.

b. Temporary lodging will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis and on the availability of temporary lodging beds.

c. A sufficient number of beds used for temporary lodging must be handicapped and wheelchair accessible, including those used in community motels and hotels.

3. To Receive Temporary Lodging.

In order to receive temporary lodging or hoptel services, a veteran must:

a. Complete an Application. A veteran must make an application to the person responsible for coordinating the temporary lodging program at the VA health care facility. For transplant patients, the Transplant Coordinator, or designee, at the Transplant Center is responsible for coordinating the temporary lodging arrangements for the veteran, the family member or caregiver, and, when applicable, the living donor and support person. Application for lodging may be done by letter, electronic means (including telephone, e-mail, or facsimile), or in person.

b. Provide Information. The veteran must provide the following information:

(1) Name and Social Security Number;

(2) Date, time and anticipated duration of scheduled care;

(3) Type of scheduled care (e.g., outpatient appointment, outpatient procedure, chemotherapy);

(4) Name, gender, and relationship to the veteran of any person accompanying the veteran;

(5) Requested date(s) for temporary lodging;

(6) Distance, time, and means of travel from the veteran’s home to the VA health care facility; and

(7) Circumstances that may affect the time of travel from the veteran’s home to VA health care facility (i.e., inclement weather, mountainous terrain, dependence on public transportation, etc.).

4. Criteria for Eligibility for Temporary Lodging/Hoptel. In order to receive temporary lodging and/or hotel services, a veteran must:

a. At the time of lodging, be determined clinically stable and capable of self-care or be accompanied by a caregiver able to provide the necessary care. VA does not provide nursing or other medical care for temporary lodging beds.

b. Be required to leave prior to 6:00 am from their home to the VA health care facility to get to their first appointment. The VA health care facility Director may make an exception to the time provisions based on exceptional circumstances, such as condition of the veteran, inclement weather, road conditions, or the mode of transportation used by the veteran.

c. Be able to stay in an unsupervised setting, as determined by the VA health care provider.

Veterans who have a recent history of aggressive behavior or emotional outbursts are not good candidates for temporary lodging. Veterans with behavioral or medical conditions requiring monitoring or supervision must not be accepted for temporary lodging.

d. For transplant patients, the veteran must be in close proximity to the Transplant Center to receive an available donor organ in cases when a living donor organ is not an option.