The order stipulating the default value for Residential Homes under the Financing Model of Private Social Solidarity Institutions was published today in the Official Journal.
 
The values now stipulated are the result of the extensive work developed by the Regional Secretariat for Social Solidarity in close cooperation with Private Social Solidarity Institutions (IPSS), "Santa Casa da Misericórdia" institutions providing residential home care services, the Regional Union of "Santas Casa da Misericórdia" of the Azores and the Regional Union of Private Social Solidarity Institutions of the Azores (URIPSSA).
 
The Government of the Azores, through the Implementing Order no. 46/2016, stipulates as default value the amount corresponding to the monthly sum paid by the Region per vacancy provided by Residential Home institutions: 1,244.13 Euros.
 
In addition to defining this amount, the Government will also increase the reimbursement rate in accordance with the degree of disability. This will be determined based on the Portuguese Adaptive Behaviour Scale, which allows, among other things, to assess the degree of self-sufficiency of users.
 
In the case of users whose level of self-sufficiency is determined to be "below average" or "low," the amount will be increased by 5%.
 
In the cases when the user is assessed as having a "very poor" level of self-sufficiency, there will be an increase of 12.5% compared to the default value.
 
This measure evidences the significant effort of the Azorean Government in providing institutions with an adequate public funding model.
 
The Government will increase the default value by 22% for smaller residential homes up to 10 users and by 15% for facilities with capacity for 10 to 13 users in order to ensure structural costs, namely adequate human resources and compliance with legal requirements.
 
Moreover, the Government has also created a mechanism for the interim review of cooperation agreements in January and July of each year. It will be applied in the following situations: substantial discrepancies in the amount of reimbursement received from users, the degree of dependence of users or the registered frequency. This mechanism aims to prevent the persistence of any deviation by the end of the year.
 
The amendments to the default value for Residential Homes were submitted to URMA and URIPSSA. They were individually analysed with all Private Social Solidarity Institutions as well as with "Santa Casa da Misericórdia" institutions providing this service in the Azores.