SECTION 22. Financial eligibility guidelines; reimbursements by elderly persons

The department shall establish, by regulation, financial eligibility guidelines which provide a procedure for reimbursement by elderly persons for all or part of cost of protective services. If the department or the designated agency determines, pursuant to section eighteen, that an elderly person who is in need of protective services has sufficient resources to pay for part or all of the cost of protective services, it shall initiate said procedures for reimbursement. If the department or designated agency determines that an elderly person does not have sufficient resources, no reimbursement for any such costs shall be charged to the elderly person.

No elderly person shall be required to reimburse the department for part or all of the cost of protective services unless he or she has been notified prior to the commencement of service provision that a reimbursement will be charged. No elderly person shall be required to reimburse the department for protective services before service provision commences.