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Finding Care & Support
In Home Services
There are a variety of options for in home care to meet your needs for hourly, daily, or around–the-clock assistance. This can be a viable option for people seeking care at home rather than an institutional setting. Services include companionship, help with bathing, dressing, household chores, cooking, banking, shopping, and running errands, to name a few.
Types of Services Available:
Types of Programs Available:
Provides care in the home that is typically prescribed by an individual's physician as part of a written plan of care. Home health care services are provided by licensed home health care agencies and include a range of services. Medical and rehabilitation services include skilled nursing; home health aide services; physical therapy; occupational therapy; speech therapy; and hospice services. Non-medical services include helping individuals with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing and eating; assistance with cooking, cleaning, and other housekeeping jobs; and managing medications.
Although home health care may include some non-medical (home care) services such as homemakers and companions, home health care is more medically oriented. While home care typically includes chore and housecleaning services, home health care usually involves helping individuals recover from an illness or injury. That is why therapists or home health aides work for agencies that are licensed by the state.
Provides non-medical assistance to persons with disabilities and older adults. Tasks generally include grocery shopping, meal preparation, laundry, light housekeeping and arranging for transportation to appointments.
The primary role of a personal assistant is to “fill in the gaps” so that the highest level of independence and socialization can be achieved.
Through this personalized service, older adults and persons of any age with disabilities, receive hands-on care with five primary activities of daily living: bathing, dressing, eating, transferring and toileting. In addition, a PCA helps with social and business affairs, such as escorting while doing errands or visiting friends, going on walks and outings, opening and reading mail, paying bills, making light meals, and overall companionship.
The older adult or person with the disability is the employer. If hired through a home care agency, a Personal Care Assistant may have other titles, such as Personal Care Attendant, Home Health Aide or Certified Nurses Aide.
Provides a wide range of services for persons with disabilities and older adults, including, but not limited to: companionship, homemaking, personal care assistance, arranging for home repairs, medication monitoring, meal preparation, errands, bookkeeping, feeding pets, answering the telephone and door, local driving, grocery shopping, and much more.
Most individuals and families hire live-ins through bonded and insured home-care agencies because they do not wish to take on the role of “employer” and assume all of the liability. However, some people prefer to hire privately because they wish to hire a person with particular skills (i.e. certified nurse’s aide) or bi-lingual capabilities.
Live-ins may be compensated on an hourly, weekly or salaried basis. They are provided room and board and guaranteed their own private living area, at minimum a private bedroom and a private bathroom.
A Medicaid Program that pays for medical and non-medical support services needed by frail individuals, age 65+ in order to avoid institutionalization. Funded services include visiting nurse services, home health aide, chore assistance, homemakers, adult day care, home delivered meals, companion services, respite care, transportation, emergency response systems, and other services necessary to support independent living. The cost of these services cannot exceed the cost of institutional care.
Provides assessment, coordination and payment for services for persons age 18-64 who have physical or mental disabilities and need supportive services to live independently in the community. The program pays a maximum of $650/month for non-medical services such as adult day care, chore assistance, home-delivered meals, companion, homemaker and personal emergency response systems. Eligibility is based on income and asset limitations.
Money Follows the Person (MFP) Program
Money Follows the Person (MFP) is a state program that helps move people to the community from institutional settings. If you or a loved one are in an institutionalized setting, such as a nursing home, and would like to learn more about your options to move to your community, Connecticut’s Department of Social Services has transition services to assist people based on their individual needs. Even if you don’t qualify for the Money Follows the Person program, there are other services the Department may offer to assist you. Complete an application to access services.
For further information or for an application, contact the Money Follows the Person Program or call 1-888-992-8637.
WISE Program (Mental Health Medicaid Waiver)
Through this special waiver program, WISE (Working for Integration, Support and Empowerment) helps people with serious mental illness avoid nursing home placement and also helps others who are currently living in a nursing home transition back to the community. WISE services include assertive community treatment (ACT), Community Support Program (CSP), supported employment, peer support, recovery assistant, short-term crisis stabilization, and transitional case management. Additionally this waiver can help cover non-medical transportation, specialized medical equipment and home accessibility adaptations. Housing coordinators are available if needed to help participants find affordable housing.
Eligibility:
- An adult, 22 years of age or older
- Must meet Medicaid eligibility guidelines (established income and asset limits)
- Must meet Medicaid State Plan criteria for nursing home level of care
- Has a diagnosis of serious mental illness as defined by State of Connecticut PASRR policy
For additional eligibility criteria and for more information contact the WISE program or call the WISE unit at the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services at 1-800-548-0265.
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