POLICY STATEMENT.

The Division of Veterans Healthcare Services (DVHS) shall require that the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home (VMH) maintain a personal needs account for the deposit of the personal funds of the resident. A personal needs allowance shall be available to the resident for individual use and spending, in accordance with New Jersey Administrative Code (N.J.A.C.) 5A:5-2.1.

PURPOSE.

The New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home will enable residents to use their personal needs allowance to purchase items in a manner that will allow for independent choices by the resident.

PROCEDURE.

A. New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home

1. The New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home will ensure that the basic human needs of its residing population of residents are met, and will facilitate the purchase needs of all residents in a manner that will allow for independent choices.

B. Department of Social Services

1. The Department of Social Services within the VMH is responsible to handle all requests made to assist residents with the purchasing of specialty items.  The New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home accepts no responsibility for loss of monies, valuables, or personal property or for the safeguarding of items once received by the resident, other than to take reasonable care to safeguard the items and/or property of residents who are deemed incompetent.

2. The Department of Social Services within the VMH shall help residents and families identify and gain access to community services, using resource material and a knowledge of the resident’s needs and abilities, and will facilitate the purchase of specialty items.

3. The Department of Social Services within the VMH will seek the permission of the resident, the representative payor, the guardian, or the financial power of attorney for purchase requests.  All purchase transactions shall be conducted by the resident, the representative payor, the financial power of attorney or the guardian prior to facility involvement.

4. Payments for purchases will be the sole responsibility of the resident, the representative payor, the guardian, or the financial power of attorney.  The Business Office will only facilitate purchases upon certification that the resident has sufficient funds in his/her account to make the purchase, or if the guardian, representative payor, or financial power of attorney has agreed to finance the purchase.

Effective: November 1992

Revised:  November 1996

Revised:  March 2004

Revised:  July 2007