We don’t want to make you dizzy, but we’re moving on from our discussion of assisted living facilities (March article) and continuing care communities (April article ) and returning to financial support to help you stay in the home you now live in.
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Connecticut has a variety of home care programs, but the primary programs for elders (over 65) are the State funded program (money comes entirely from the State budget) and the Medicaid waiver program (the State is reimbursed for a large part of the cost by the federal government). Both programs are administered by the alternate care unit of the Department of Social Services (“DSS”).
The State funded program is for an applicant who needs help with some activities of daily living, but does not need a nursing home level of care. If you own a home or a car, those assets don’t count in determining whether you are financially eligible. Your other assets, however, can’t be more than $35,766.00 if you are single and $47,688.00 if you are married. There is no limit on how much income you (or your spouse) can have. There is a co-payment of 9% of the value of services you are provided. There are cost caps on the total amount of care the State will provide each month. There also is a wait list for those deemed only “moderately frail”.
The Medicaid waiver program is for an applicant who needs a nursing home level of care, but wants to get it at home rather than in a facility. As with the State funded program, if you own a home or a car, those assets don’t count in determining whether you are financially eligible. Your other assets, however, can’t be more than $1,600.00 if you are single. If you are married, the other assets owned by you and your spouse can be as high as $120,800.00. Unlike the State funded program, the applicant’s income cannot exceed $2,199.00/month (present limit). If the applicant’s income exceeds $2,199.00/month, the excess income can be transferred to a PLAN pooled trust (discussed next month) to achieve eligibility. If the applicant’s income exceeds $1,962.00/month, co-payments are required. As with the State funded plan, there are cost caps on the total amount of care provided each month, but the caps are higher.
The premise of both home care programs is that it is better for the applicant if he/she receives care at home instead of at a facility, and, as well, it is cheaper for the State. Examples of the services that can be provided through the State funded and waiver programs are home health aides, physical, occupational and speech therapy, transportation to medical appointments, adult day care, home delivered meals, an emergency response system, and personal care assistants.
This article only gives you a general overview of the two primary home care programs for elders. In the right case, these programs can make a difference and help you stay at home! You can access more information on the DSS website which is www.ct.gov/dss or on the website of the South Central CT Agency on Aging, www.aoascc.org telephone 203-785-8533.