Known as one of the best Medicaid programs currently offered, the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program or CDPA enables consumers to manage their own home care workers. The most notable advantages of this program are that close family members and friends can provide care, caregivers do not need special licensing or training, and personal assistants can provide a wide range of important, daily services for the consumer.
The Most Important Eligibility Requirements
Although there are other factors that can affect your availability, these are the primary eligibility requirements for the program.
– The consumer should be qualified for long-term care (120+ days)
-Must have Medicaid and have a physician sign off on medical necessity.
– In the event the consumer cannot manage their care per the program guidelines, a designated representative must be appointed to manage their care.
Designated Representative Information
If you are seriously considering the CDPA program, you are probably wondering what a designated representative is. A designated representative is a designated representative that can make informed decisions about the services that the caregiver obtains, which may include nursing services, respite care, transportation, and personal care. In addition, a designated representative has the ability to manage the caregiver’s environment and understand the consequences of the choices that he/she makes.
Friends And Family As Caregivers
One of the primary benefits of the program is that it offers consumers the opportunity to hire friends and family.
Here is a common scenario that many people face:
Beth was a dedicated mother who worked hard to provide for her family throughout the years. She was a super mom. She maintained a clean house while working full-time. Luckily, her husband did help.
Now in her early 80s and retired, she suffers from various health conditions that require her to need assistance with activities of daily living including bathing, grooming, and preparing meals. These health conditions include diabetes, asthma, COPD, and anxiety/depression.
She has four children, but only one of them could help her out from time to time. Beth’s daughter, Samantha, tried to help her as much as she could, but she has her own family to support. Realizing that she could not do it all, Samantha wanted to obtain a home care companion for her mom, but she knew that her mother wouldn’t let a stranger into her house. Beth was always afraid that a home care companion would steal some of her expensive jewelry or quit working for her unexpectedly. But even if Samantha could get her mom a home care companion, he/she wouldn’t be allowed to provide her with daily insulin injections.
Fortunately, Samantha soon discovered the CDPA program, which was the answer to all of her problems. Under this program, Samantha was able to get paid for taking care of her mom. Because the program allows personal assistants to administer medication and insulin, Samantha was also able to give her mom regular insulin shots. The CDPA program enabled Samantha to give her mom the type of care that she deserved without compromising on the responsibilities that she had for her own family. Clearly, the CDPA program is a win-win for everyone.
Allowed Caregivers
When consumers opt for the CDPA program, they can hire pretty much anyone who is legally able to work as their caregiver. As evident from the above example, most consumers hire family or friends to fulfill this role. Regardless of the person that the consumer chooses, the caregiver can get paid to take care of their loved one.
Certification & Training
Along with the option to hire family and friends are caregivers, another perk of this program is that the caregivers are not required to have a license or certification. In fact, the consumer does all of the training, which is a huge perk for both the consumer and the caregiver.
Home Care Services Allowed
Contrary to the services offered at many traditional home care agencies, the CDPA program allows caregivers to perform a wide range of services. As such, this is a major benefit for consumers who require daily care. The services that the caregiver can provide may include bathing, dressing, meal preparation, wound care, insulin administration, suctioning tracheostomies, and much more.
How to Hire A Family Caregivers
Since you probably know by now that the most appealing aspect of this program is the ability to hire a family member as a caregiver, the next logical question is “How do I hire a family caregiver?”
The first thing that you will need to do is apply to the program. The CDPA application is currently available online. There are several forms that you might need to apply to the program, but fortunately, there are people to help you with this process. Keep in mind that you’ll also need to gather the necessary forms from your primary care physician and other providers.
Payment Information: Most people who are under this program want their children to be their caregivers. Luckily, adult children can get paid for fulfilling this role. In addition, adult siblings can be hired as caregivers. On the other hand, spouses cannot get paid for hiring each other as their caregiver.
Many times, children may want their parents to be their caregiver. Children who are 21 years or older can hire their parents to be their paid caregivers. But children who are younger than 21 years old cannot select their parents are paid caregivers.
Medicaid Important Info
As stated above, the CDPA program is only offered to consumers who have Medicaid. If you do not have Medicaid, you are not eligible for the program. Don’t worry. There is hope, though. There are several Medicaid specialists that can guide you through the process of applying for Medicaid. With so many available specialists ready to help, you should not let this ineligibility stop you. Don’t wait a second longer. Apply for Medicaid now.
One Last Note
The consumer or the person acting on the consumer’s behalf has to accept full responsibility for training, supervising, hiring, and even firing of the caregiver. The person acting on the consumer’s behalf could be a spouse or the parent of a chemically ill child.
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