Adult Day Care
Adult day care centers are places for people who cannot be left alone at home during
the day and for people who do not wish to be alone. This care option can provide a primary
caregiver the ability to contunue working, or some respite from their 24 hour a day care
giving responsibility. Centers offer a variety of health and social services and will
often have transportation available.
Accessing Adult Day Care
Adult day care can be obtained from one of the 16 centers located throughout RI that
are licensed by the Dept. of Elderly Affairs.
The State has several programs that provide adult day care. These programs are funded
by the Dept of Elderly Affairs (DEA), the Dept of Human Services (DHS). Services are
available five days a week, although some centers are open on Saturdays. Age, income,
assets and functional status are the primary factors in determining eligibility. It is
very commom for the recipient to pay for part of the cost. State funded services are often
authorized for three or six month periods. As long as someone meets the eligibility
requirements, the services can continue indefinitely.
Department of Elderly Affairs
Home Health Aide/Homemaker Service
401-462-0570
Program
Age Eligibility/Income/Assets
Functional Status Program
Age Eligibility/Income/Assets
Functional Status
Home & Community Care 65+
enrolled in Medicaid
Homebound
At-Home Medicaid Waiver 65+
enrolled in Medicaid
Homebound
Co-Pay
65+
single $7,938 to
$16,919
Homebound
married $8,440 to $21,149
Nursing Home Waiver
65+
enrolled in Medicaid
Homebound
Department of Human Services
Home Health Aide/Homemaker Service
401-462-5300
Program
Age Eligibility/Income/Assets
Functional Status
SSI
65+ or enrolled in SSI
Homebound
disabled
Medicaid Waiver
65+ enrolled in Medicaid
Homebound
at home or would be
if entered a nursing
home
As you can see, the options are confusing.
They raise as many
questions as they answer. Below are some clarifications.
Medicaid Waivers - Long-term care was once only paid
for by Medicaid
if a person was in a nursing home. In 1982, the federal government
started to realize that home and community based care could be used as a
less expensive alternative to nursing home care. It allowed states to
apply for "waivers" from the normal Medicaid rules to allow for
reimbursement for home and community based care for certain people
who could be maintained safely at home, as long as it cost less than
nursing home care. It's important to note that the Waiver programs
can offer an array of services including home care, adult day care,
emergency response units, and minor home modifications to assist someone
to continue to live independently at home. Just as important is to note
that eligibility overlaps programs and departments and each Waiver program
may offer different amounts of care, especially home health aide service.
Be persistent ! Call each State Department to find out about eligibility.
Calling one department won't necessarily get you information about the
other's program. This is, after all, government you are dealing with !
Co-Pay Program - The Co-Pay program offers up to 20
hours a week of
home health aide/homemaker service to older people who are above the
Medicaid income and asset guidelines. Recipients pay for part of
the cost of the service based on their annual income. Currently the Level
1
rate is $3.00 per hour and the Level 2 rate is $5.50 per hour.
Level 1 income category
single -
annual income between $7,938 and $8,860
married - annual
income between $8,439 and $11,940
Level 2 income category
single -
annual income between $8,861 and $16,919
married - annual
income between $11,941 and $21,149
Income is generally the same items as included in a
federal income
tax return plus social security. Assets are not considered in
determining eligibility.
SSI - Supplemental Security Income is a governmental
assistance
program to provide all older and disabled people with a minimum
monthly income. It is designed to help people who have a very low social
security benefit and people who were never able to work because of a
disability. SSI will supplement a single person's income up to $629
a month and a married couple's income up to $957 a month. People on this
program cannot have assets of more than $2,000 if single or $3,000 if
married.
