Home attendant services may include nursing care, speech, physical, and occupational therapies, home health aide services, and personal care services provided at home.
Health services performed at the patient’s home to promote, maintain, or restore health, as well as to decrease the impacts of disease and impairment, are referred to as home care. Nursing care, speech, physical, and occupational therapies, home health aide services, and personal care services are some of the services that may be provided.
Please be aware that under New York State Public Health Law, an entity providing or arranging for home care services in the state must be licensed or certified as a home care agency by the New York State Department of Health in order to do business in the state.
According to the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), people with developmental disabilities are encouraged to participate fully and productively in their communities (OPWDD). It is the responsibility of organizations, in order to ensure that each individual has access to community resources that are requested by that individual, to ensure that safeguards and supervision are provided in accordance with those requirements and informed decisions made by the individual. This involves providing folks with secure transportation services to and from various organizations.
For the majority of OPWDD services to be available, most persons will need to demonstrate that they have a developmental impairment by submitting the following documents:
- Register for Medicaid (if necessary) and the OPWDD Home and Community-Based Services Waiver (if applicable) (if needed)
- The Office of Public Works and Development (OPWDD) Eligibility Review
A developmental disability and eligibility for OPWDD supports and services are determined through the eligibility evaluation process, which is carried out by the Office of the Provincial Welfare and Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD).
A developmental disability regional office (DDRO) is one of five offices operated by the Office of the Commissioner of the Department of Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) situated throughout New York State. In order to get assistance from the DDRO, you and your family must provide papers and data, including reports of medical specialists’ assessments. A Care Manager may be able to assist you with this procedure.
There are a variety of programs available via the OPWDD Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver to assist people in their homes and communities rather than requiring them to be in institutions. The HCBS waiver is one of a number of exemptions that have been approved by the federal government to allow states to be more flexible in their use of Medicaid dollars. Under these special agreements, the federal government waives some Medicaid requirements, allowing states to utilize Medicaid funds to provide assistance to persons who choose to remain at home with their family or live freely in the community, as opposed to institutions.
Individuals who wish to be eligible for the assistance and services provided by the OPWDD’s HCBS waiver program must first enroll in the HCBS waiver program through the OPWDD.
In order to request enrollment in the OPWDD HCBS waiver, you must first complete and submit an Application for Participation to the department. In order to be eligible for enrollment, you must live at home or in a recognized Family Care home, community residence, or Individualized Residential Alternative throughout the enrollment period (IRA).
To be considered for these services, you must submit documentation of the following: