Why the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) might be the Medicaid program you have been hoping to find
The following guest blog is from Adele Horbatiuk, Program Director for Concepts of Independence. Concepts of Independence is a fiscal intermediary, which provides administrative support for people using the CDPA program. The Fiscal Intermediary keeps a record of the Personal Assistant’s enrollment packet, annual health assessment, and information needed to process payroll and benefit administration. They act as an employer of record for insurance, unemployment and worker compensation benefits. If you would like any additional information about the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program and Concepts of Independence, please contact Adele Horbatiuk at 917-710-1859.
If you would like more information about the Consumer Directed Program please visit http://www.cdpaanys.org/education.html
Many people eligible for Medicaid long term home care services are not aware that there is an alternative to traditional agencies. Are you Medicaid eligible and in need of long term home care services? Do you have aides that you would like to continue working with to provide your care? Do you want to have control over who is caring for your loved one? Would you feel more comfortable hand selecting your own personal assistant? Do you want to eliminate potential stress from strangers in the home or language/cultural barriers by hiring someone sensitive to your needs?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you may want to get some information about the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP).
This Medicaid home care program is not new…..it has been around since 1973 when a group of severely disabled individuals who did not want to stay in nursing homes banded together and created “Concepts of Independence”. These consumers wanted to be more independent and have more control over when, how, and by whom their services were delivered. They developed the model for what is now referred to as the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program.
This alternative to traditional home care services allows the individual (or his/her surrogate) to recruit, hire, train, supervise, schedule, and, if necessary, dismiss the personal assistant of their choice. In some cases, the personal assistant may even be a family member (not a spouse or parent), trusted neighbor, or friend.
Also, because of an exception to the Nurses Act, the personal assistants working with the CDPAP are able to perform tasks that agency-sent home health aides may be prohibited from doing. If the needs of the consumer increased due to declining health or other circumstance, the CDPAP personal assistant can be trained by the consumer or family to perform new tasks so there is no need to hire additional people at a different skill level. This ability to be consistent and familiar with the needs of the consumer has been shown to improve over- all outcomes and satisfaction for those receiving the care.
