481-69.26(3) Service Plans

The third paragraph in the service plan rules or 481-69.26(3) includes when service plans must be reviewed and/or updated. When the tenant receives personal or health-related care, the service plan must be updated:

• Within 30 days of occupancy
• Upon a significant change, and
• No less than annually

When the service plan is updated, it must be signed by all parties that helped develop it including the tenant or their representatives. The parties must sign the service plan (even if no changes occurred) no less than annually.

If the program determines that the service plan needs minor discretionary changes but a significant change does not exist, the service plan can be updated without first completing comprehensive evaluations and without obtaining new signatures on the service plan.

If a significant change relates to recurring or chronic conditions, a previous evaluation and service plan including the recurring condition may be used without new signatures being obtained.

This rule is frequently cited during monitoring visits and includes a multitude of reasons that a significant change existed and the service plan was not updated, when the service plan was not reviewed/updated at least annually, and when the service plan was not signed at least annually by all parties.