Consumer Directed Services are similar to in-home care, but there’s one big distinction. Your dad chooses who provides the care services he needs. If he qualifies for Missouri’s CDS, he can hire you to help him with personal care services like assistance with bathing and personal care, grooming, dressing, meals, and other things he cannot do independently.
Before you quit your job to care for your dad, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of making this decision. A family caregiver, while one of the kindest things you can do for your parents, does affect your finances right now and in the future.
Are You Set Up for Retirement?
You might be decades from retirement, so you’re not thinking about the future. If you haven’t started setting aside money for retirement, will you have time to make it up?
Your dad may only need your help for a few years, but what if you provide his care for ten years? That’s ten years of losing out on employer matches for 401k or building up a pension.
What Happens With Medical and Dental Insurance?
If you quit your job, will you qualify for medical and dental insurance on your own? Private plans can be expensive, and you may not make enough money as your dad’s family carer to afford the coverage you have through your employer.
This may not matter for now if you’re healthy, but what if something happens? You can’t control accidents from happening. Can you afford the care you’d need if a pet tripped you up and you fell down the stairs? What if you were running errands and came into contact with someone with a contagious virus without realizing it and ended up extremely sick?
How Much Do You Earn?
Being paid to provide your dad’s care may not offer the same income that you’re currently making. Can you afford your expenses on less income? If you risk losing your home or car, you need to carefully consider the benefits vs. the risks.
Your Dad Needs to Meet the Qualifying Criteria
To qualify for Consumer Directed Services, your dad must qualify for Missouri State Medicaid. He has to be unable to perform several activities of daily living like these:
- Be unable to ambulate and transfer on his own
- Brush and floss his teeth
- Choose appropriate clothing and get dressed
- Eat the foods he’s served
- Experience issues with toileting
Your dad may also struggle with instrumental activities of daily living. They include:
- Be able to use the phone or email to reach out to others and schedule appointments
- Complete the housework and laundry
- Drive a car or be able to arrange transportation
- Pay bills and manage finances
- Plan a grocery list and prepare meals and snacks
- Remember to take medications and order refills as needed
- Run errands
If your dad needs help with the majority of those tasks, he needs home care services. Your dad’s spouse wouldn’t qualify to be a paid caregiver, but you do. With Consumer Directed Services, adult children can get paid to be their dad’s personal care attendant. Fill out the application to get started.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering CDS (Consumer Directed Services) in St. Louis, MO please contact the caring staff at Home Care MO today. (314) 501-5330
We offer consumer directed services (CDS) in St. Louis County, St. Louis City and St. Charles, as well as Crawford, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Montgomery, Pike, St. Francois, Ste Genevieve, Warren and Washington Counties.
Home Care MO was established by veteran home care agency owners. Home Care MO is a home care agency that works with Missouri’s Consumer Directed Services (CDS) program. CDS is a Medicaid-funded program that enables you to hire the person of your choice to help with your care. This caregiver is also called a personal care attendant (PCA).
- Rules Family Members Need to Keep in Mind When Getting Paid to Help a Parent - August 2, 2022
- Points to Consider Before Being Paid to Provide Your Dad’s Care - July 18, 2022
- How Do You Apply to Be a Paid Family Caregiver? - July 5, 2022
