Your dad had a stroke and needs help as he regains strength and fine motor skills. He needs help with housework, meal preparation, bathing/grooming, and transportation. You might be able to provide that care, but there are rules you have to follow.
If you’ve looked into the options for nursing homes and don’t like what you’ve found. Read these tips to see if you could qualify to get paid to care for your dad.
He Cannot Pick a Minor or Spouse
Your dad can’t hire a child who is under the age of 18 to provide his care. If he has a grandchild he wants to help him out, that grandchild has to be over 18. He cannot pay his spouse to care for him. He could pay his adult children, a cousin, a niece or nephew, or sibling, but not his spouse.
He Must Qualify for MoHealth Net
To qualify for Consumer Directed Services, your dad must qualify for MoHealth Net. If he doesn’t, it’s important to talk to someone who specializes in these services to see if he might qualify and needs to enroll.
He Has to Self-Direct His Care
Your dad has to be able to tell his caregiver what he wants to be done and how to do it. If he cannot direct his caregiver, he may not qualify. He doesn’t always have to speak, but he should be able to gesture in a way that is understandable.
The Number of Hours Is Calculated After Interviews
You won’t get paid for full days of care. He’ll talk to an intake specialist and his medical records, doctor’s recommendations, and therapists’ notes to determine exactly how many hours are needed to help him with tasks like bathing, meals, and housekeeping. It’s measured in 15 minute increments.
While it varies from one person to the next, Missouri’s Consumer Directed Services will pay for a maximum of 514 units per month (as of 2021). One unit is 15 minutes, so that comes out to just over 34 hours of care per month. Pay to a family member or other selected caregiver is $3.99 per unit. It’s possible your dad won’t qualify for the full 514 units, so you need to consider if you’d make enough or need to supplement this with another job.
Consumer Directed Services are a great way to get paid to care for your dad. After all, who could be better to help him recover than his child? Make sure you talk to a specialist about the ins and outs of enrolling in Consumer Directed Services and what he needs to do to get started.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Consumer Directed Services in Ballwin, 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.
Sources:
https://health.mo.gov/seniors/hcbs/hcbsmanual/pdf/3.00appendix1.pdf
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).
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