For the operation of the elder home care program, including contracts with aging service access points or other qualified entities for the home care program, home care, health aides, homemaker, personal care, supportive home care aides, home health and respite services, geriatric behavioral health services and other services provided to older adults; provided, that sliding--scale fees shall be charged to qualified older adults; provided further, that the secretary of aging and independence may waive collection of sliding--scale fees in cases of extreme financial hardship; provided further, that not more than $16,000,000 in revenues accrued from sliding--scale fees shall be retained by the individual home care organizations without reallocation by the executive office of aging and independence and shall be expended for the home care program, consistent with guidelines to be issued by the executive office; provided further, that no rate increase shall be awarded in fiscal year 2026 that would cause a reduction in client services or the number of clients served; provided further, that no funds shall be expended from this item to pay for salary increases for direct service workers who provide state--funded homemaker and home health aide services that would cause a reduction in client services; provided further, that funding shall be expended for a contract with the LGBTQIA+ Aging Project for provider training including, but not limited to, home care and home health providers, councils on aging, skilled nursing facilities and adult day health programs and outreach to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning older adults and to caregivers; provided further, that the secretary may transfer not more than 3 per cent of the funds appropriated in this item to item 9110--1633 for case management services and the administration of the home care program; provided further, that the secretary shall expend not less than $1,400,000 between this item and item 9110--1633 on recipients of the home care over--income cost--sharing program; and provided further, that not less than $300,000 shall be expended for the Alzheimer''s Disease and Related Disorders Association, Massachusetts Chapter, Inc. to expand access to and administer Dementia Care Coordination, an evidence--based program, to reduce hospitalizations, emergency department visits and the delay of long--term care placements
