A person is considered a resident or inmate if he or she lives in an institution and does not make his or her home elsewhere.
55 Pa. Code § 161.22 62 P.S. § 432(4)
NOTE: A person incarcerated in a penal or correctional institution is always considered an inmate. A prison inmate who is temporarily hospitalized is still considered an inmate of the prison and is not eligible for cash benefits.
A person who is in a medical institution because of illness, injury or other health-related problem is a patient. He must receive professional medical care. There must be planned, continuing medical treatment directed toward improvement in health, or palliative medical measures if his or her health is not expected to improve.
A person is not considered a patient if he or she is in an institution for sheltered or custodial care and does not receive continuing planned medical treatment for his or her disability.
The CAO must consider persons in other types of facilities as follows:
Non-Institutionalization
A person in a group home under the DHS Community Living Arrangements Program for the intellectually disabled is not considered a resident of an institution because he or she is free to come and go as he or she pleases. He or she may be eligible for TANF, if he or she is otherwise eligible.
A person on a leave of absence from a public psychiatric institution is not considered a resident of an institution.
A person in a hospital for temporary care is not a resident of an institution.
A person in a public educational or vocational training facility for the purpose of receiving education or training is not a resident of an institution.
45 CFR 233.60(b)(4)(i)
A person temporarily in a public institution because of an emergency, pending other arrangements, is not a resident of an institution.
45 CFR 233.60(b)(4)(ii)
A person and his or her children who reside in a community facility that provides services funded by the Office of Children, Youth and Families and directed towards improving family functioning are not considered residents of an institution.
NOTE: If the children receive Placement Maintenance under TITLE IV-E, the children and parent are not eligible for TANF.
Institutionalization
A person who is “boarded out” by a public psychiatric institution is considered to be a resident of an institution.
A person eligible for a nursing home care or intermediate care payment is considered to be a patient in a medical institution.
Updated July 14, 2017, Reviewed July 30, 2013