NEIGHBORHOOD SENIOR CARE PROGRAM.

SEC. 411. NEIGHBORHOOD SENIOR CARE PROGRAM. Part B of title IV of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3034–3035g) (as amended by the preceding sections) is amended by adding at the end the following: “SEC. 428B. NEIGHBORHOOD SENIOR CARE PROGRAM. “(a) Definitions.— As used in this section: “(1) Health and social services.— The term ‘health and social services’ includes skilled nursing care, personal care, social work services, homemaker services, health and nutrition education, health screening, home health aid services, and specialized therapies. “(2) Volunteer services.— The term ‘volunteer services’ includes peer counseling, chore services, help with mail and taxes, transportation, socialization, health and social services, and other similar services. “(b) Service Grants.— “(1) In general.— The Commissioner may award grants to eligible entities to establish neighborhood senior care programs, in order to encourage professionals to provide volunteer services to local residents who are older individuals and who might otherwise have to be admitted to nursing homes and to hospitals. “(2) Preference.— In awarding grants under this section, the Commissioner shall give preference to applicants experienced in operating community programs and programs meeting the independent living needs of older individuals. 106 STAT. 1253 “(3) Advisory board.— The Commissioner shall establish an advisory board to provide guidance to grant recipients regarding the neighborhood senior care programs. Not fewer than two-thirds of the members of the advisory board shall be residents in communities served by the grant recipients. “(4) Application.— To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall submit an application to the Commissioner at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Commissioner may reasonably require. Each application shall— “(A) describe the activities in the program for which assistance is sought; “(B) describe the neighborhood in which volunteer services are to be provided under the program, and a plan for integration of volunteer services within the neighborhood; “(C) (i) provide assurances that nurses, social workers, and community volunteers providing volunteer services and an outreach coordinator involved with the project live in the neighborhood; or “(ii) (I) reasons that it is not possible to provide such assurances; and “(II) assurances that nurses, social workers, community volunteers and the outreach coordinator will be assigned repeatedly to the particular neighborhood; and “(D) provide for an evaluation of the activities for which assistance is sought. “(c) Technical Resource Center.— The Commissioner shall, to the extent appropriations are available, enter into a contract with an applicant described in subsection (b)(2) to establish a technical resource center that will— “(1) assist the Commissioner in developing criteria for, and in awarding grants to communities to establish, neighborhood senior care organizations that will implement neighborhood senior care programs under subsection (b); “(2) assist communities interested in establishing such a neighborhood senior care program; “(3) coordinate the neighborhood senior care programs; “(4) provide ongoing analysis of and collection of data on the neighborhood senior care programs and provide such data to the Commissioner; “(5) serve as a liaison to State agencies interested in establishing neighborhood senior care programs; and “(6) take any further actions as required by regulation by the Commissioner.”.