The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) issued Emergency Order 20-01 to outline which provider rules and regulations are being suspended due to the state of emergency in Florida regarding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
In addition, APD issued a curfew letter which allows essential health care service providers to continue delivering services to APD customers in the event that curfews are put in place in some communities.
APD Director Barbara Palmer said, “We are issuing this Emergency Order to relieve our providers from certain regulatory requirements given the impact that COVID-19 is having across our state and nation. We want our providers to be focused on staying well and delivering the needed services our customers require. Licensing renewals and additional training can wait for now until the spread of COVID-19 is under control.”
The order suspends for either 30 or 60 days the following APD requirements:
- Residential facility license renewal
- Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation certificate renewal
- Revalidation to administer medications
- Medication administration trainer recertification
- Reactive strategies certification renewal
Additionally, APD is carefully assessing new admissions into APD group homes and APD foster care facilities to reduce the possibility of spreading COVID-19.
Further, in accordance with guidance issued by the Department of Management Services, APD has closed all of its offices to the public for 30 days to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19.
APD supports people with developmental disabilities to live, learn, and work in their communities. The agency annually serves more than 55,000 Floridians with disabilities who have severe forms of autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, spina bifida, Phelan-McDermid syndrome, and Prader-Willi syndrome. To learn more about the agency, call 1-866-APD-CARES (1-866-273-2273) or visit APDcares.org.
