Providers will engage with the person and his/her support team by using person-centered thinking to ensure:
- A person’s needs, desires and choice to work is assessed, and the person is able to make decisions through an informed choice process, which includes having actual community experiences on which to base decisions
- People have opportunities to explore, seek and experience employment, including work in a competitive integrated setting if desired.
Clarification: Many elderly people choose not to work for various reasons. A provider must still ask the person if they desire to work and not make assumptions. A residential provider must support a person in working, if desired, by removing potential barriers, and flexibly accommodate a person’s work schedule.
Some examples of best practices are:
- Assessing a person’s needs, desires and choice to work through a provider intake assessment.
- The provider identifying employment resources (e.g., training programs and educational programming opportunities)
- Providers offering flexible scheduling to support a person in working.
Additional best practice examples can be found in the Provider’s guide to putting the HCBS rule into practice (PDF).