The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) is a Medicaid program that allows people to hire their own home care workers – even family members and friends.

It is possible for customers to select, hire, and direct their own home care workers through the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), a New York State Medicaid program. One of the most appealing aspects of the service is that it allows users to recruit members of their own family and friends.

ADL (activities of daily living ) assistance or skilled nursing services are provided to chronically sick or physically challenged persons who have a medical need for assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) or skilled nursing services under this Medicaid program.

Personal care assistant (home attendant services), home health aide, and nursing services are all examples of what may be offered by a personal care aide (home attendant), home health aide, and nurse.

When it comes to selecting their caretakers, recipients have a great deal of choice and independence.

The customer or the person acting on the consumer’s behalf (such as a parent of a handicapped or chronically sick child) takes complete responsibility for the recruiting, training, monitoring, and – if necessary – terminating the employment of the individuals delivering the services under this agreement.

The caregiver who will provide the home care services your loved one needs can be chosen by you and your family, rather than having a stranger come in to look after them.

And those who choose to provide care for a chronically ill or physically impaired loved one can receive the recompense they require and deserve in exchange for their efforts.

Eligibility for CDpap (Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program)

There are three fundamental requirements that must be completed in order to be considered:

You must be enrolled on Medicaid.
You must be in need of home health care.
You must have the ability to direct your own care (Self-direction services), or you must have a representative who can do it on your behalf.

In the event that you wish to apply for CDPAP and are unsure of where to begin, please be aware that there are frequently several steps involved in the application process, and that it is not simply a matter of filling out a single application form (although there is a form titled “CDPAP Application”). At AC Cares, we assist individuals, caregivers and families in successfully applying for CDpap (Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program) and receiving the benefits they so richly deserve.

There are three parts to the application process:

First and foremost, most CDPAP candidates must be evaluated by a nurse (often more than once) before being accepted into the program. An individual cannot obtain assistance unless his or her doctor has sent a completed Physician’s Order for Services to the local social services district, which then completes a social and nursing assessment of the individual. After that, a nurse assessor decides if the beneficiary is able to participate in CDPAP in an acceptable manner and makes recommendations on the amount, frequency, and length of services.
Consumer Forms – A number of consumer forms are necessary. AC Cares can assist you with the CDPAP Forms.
Select the caregiver of your choosing.

The good news is that we will be there to assist you at every step of the road. Do not break a sweat attempting to figure out how to navigate through each and every step of the enrolling procedure. Give us a call and one of our enrollment professionals will walk you through the full application process and lead you through the enrollment process.

Selecting Caregivers

Consumers can employ practically anybody who is legally permitted to serve as a caregiver, including most members of their own families and friends. Those who provide care for their family members or friends might then be compensated for their efforts. There are a few exceptions, though. Continue reading for answers to queries concerning whether the caregiver and the client can reside at the same address, as well as about employing a family caregiver of your choosing. Under certain circumstances the caregiver can reside with the consumer, as the government’s policy states as follows: “a consumer directed personal assistant may include any other adult relative of the consumer who does not reside with the consumer or any other adult relative who resides with the consumer because the amount of care the consumer requires makes such relative’s presence necessary”.

Additionally, parents can contract their children to work as paid family carers in exchange for a wage. Children who are 21 years old or older have the option of having their parents serve as their paid caregiver. Younger children under the age of 21 are unable to pick their parents to be their hired caregiver. Also, you and your spouse are unable to hire each other as a paid family caregiver.

What is Self Direction?

Self-direction services imply that you will be able to exercise greater control and structure over your life choices, including the people you work with, your schedule, and the services that you choose to use.

When you choose your own services, you have the freedom to live the life that you choose. When you self-direct your services, you have greater flexibility in selecting the supports that are most appropriate for you, the staff members with whom you prefer to engage, and the timeline that is most convenient for you, among other things. This gives you more freedom in deciding how you want to organize your life and allows you to be more creative.

When it comes to OPWDD services, if you are qualified and enrolled in the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver services, you have the option to choose Self-Direction.

In the following situations, self-direction may be appropriate:

You desire greater flexibility in your services and schedule
You are willing and capable of making service-planning decisions either on your own or with assistance
You wish to assume greater responsibility for managing your services.