Hospital & Homebound Services (IDDC)
Hospital-Homebound services are available to eligible SMP students who have a physical illness, accident, emotional crisis, or the treatment thereof and who are not able to be moved from the hospital-home environment for at least 10 school days. To request hospital-homebound services, the child’s parent must contact the school’s SBLC Facilitator and request a Homebound Medical Form to be completed by the physician.
CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY
There must be certification by a physician that the student is expected to be home or hospitalized for at least 10 operational days and is able to participate in an instructional program. The student must be under constant medical care for illness or injury which is acute or catastrophic or chronic physical condition which has acute phases, and which requires homebound instruction during the acute phases. The student must be free of infectious or communicable diseases. If the student is not free of such diseases, other appropriate instructional arrangements must be made. The parent or legal guardian must sign a parental agreement to parental cooperation and to cooperation with homebound or hospital policies.
DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY
Upon receipt of the completed Homebound Medical Form by the physician, the school’s SBLC meeting will determine the best plan to provide F.A.P.E. to the student. The school nurse is a mandated member of this SBLC committee. SBLC will discuss possible accommodations or modifications to the child’s schedule or setting to attempt to keep the child in school. This could include arranging the student’s schedule to accommodate the illness or injury, having all classes downstairs if mobility is affected, sending work home to be completed, or attending school for part of the day or week, etc. All attempts should be made to return the student to the school setting as soon as possible. 22 If it is determined that hospital-homebound services are necessary, and all criteria are met, appropriate district and school personnel will confer, and the student’s parents or legal guardians will be contacted by the assigned homebound instructor. Homebound instructors are assigned according to their professional certifications and the instructional needs of the child. Should the family be unwilling to accept the assigned instructor, the St. Mary Parish School Board shall not be responsible for providing this service.
ABSENCES PRIOR TO DETERMINATION
A student is counted absent until receipt of notice of eligibility. This official notice will come from the Coordinator of Discipline & Special Instructional Services and will include two pertinent dates—the date from which excused absences begin, noted on the Medical Form completed by the physician and the date from which the student is to be counted present. Absences incurred prior to these two official dates are addressed between the parent and the principal.
HOME ENVIRONMENT
An adult family member shall be on the premises and available during the entire instructional session, and ALL parties in the home should be appropriately dressed throughout the session. The student and the teacher shall be provided with an environment conducive to instruction free from distractions and spacious enough to accommodate the pupil and the teacher in accordance with the pupil’s physical and mental involvement. The parent or adult family member present will initial the time sheet to document services. Hospital-Homebound teachers do not administer mid-terms, finals, or state assessments in the home. These tests are to be taken at school. Medical verification of the student’s inability to take state assessments at school must be presented to the principal.
PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
Homebound students may not participate in school-sponsored events without a full medical release from their physician. Students present at school-sponsored activities or other public events will receive a case review with termination of services possible. Exceptions for students with long-term services may be requested by submitting a doctor’s written request to the Superintendent.
PREGNANCY
Hospital-Homebound services begin on the actual delivery date or upon medical documentation of complications in the pregnancy or recovery which could be detrimental to the health of the student. Feeling tired, uncomfortable, and hurting to walk are all symptoms of pregnancy and not medical complications. Upon delivery of the baby, a parent or legal guardian must notify the school secretary in order to initiate services. The inability to secure childcare will not qualify the student for homebound services.
SPED OR 504 STUDENTS
An IEP or IAP meeting is required to address this “change of placement” in a short-term IEP or IAP written by the hospital-homebound teacher with input from the student’s primary care provider. The IEP or IAP will be revised by the special education teacher upon the student’s return to school. Students in grades 6-12, who are academically capable, will be placed in courses via Edgenuity. The homebound teacher will collaborate with the school counselor, primary provider, or 504 facilitator to assist the student at least once a week. The contact person must document contact dates and times using the Homebound Contact Form.