The Persons with Disabilities Waiver

The Persons with Disabilities Waiver is for those people 0 to 59 years of age who have a physical disability. It is also known as the Physical Disabilities Waiver.

What’s Covered

  • Adaptive Equipment
  • Adult Day Service, includes transportation
  • Emergency Home Response
  • Environmental Accessibility Adaptations
  • Home-Delivered Meals
  • Home Health Aide
  • Homemaker
  • Nursing-Skilled
  • Nursing-Intermittent
  • Personal Assistant Service
  • Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy
  • Respite

Adaptive Equipment
This service includes devices, controls, or appliances specified in the plan of care. These will enable the member to increase his or her abilities to perform activities of daily living, or to perceive, control or communicate with the environment in which they live.

Adult Day Service (also known as Adult Day Health)
This service is a daytime community-based program for adults not living in Supported Living Facilities. Adult Day Service provides a variety of social, recreational, health, nutrition and related support services in a protective setting. Transportation to and from the center as well as lunch, are included as part of this service.

Emergency Home Response (also known as Personal Emergency Response System)
This electronic equipment allows members 24-hour access to help in an emergency. The equipment is connected to your phone line to call the response center and/or other forms of assistance once the help button is pressed.

Environmental Accessibility Adaptations
These are physical modifications to a member’s home. The modifications must be necessary to support the health, welfare and safety of the member while enabling them to function with greater independence in their home. Without the modification, a member would require some type of institutionalized living arrangement, such as a nursing facility or assisted living. Adaptations that do not help the member’s safety or independence are not included as part of this service, such as new carpeting, roof repair, central air or home additions.

Home-Delivered Meals
Prepared food brought to the member’s home that may consist of a heated lunch, dinner or both, which can be refrigerated and eaten later. This service is designed for the member who cannot prepare his or her own meals but is able to feed him or herself.

Home Health Aide
A person who works under the supervision of a medical professional, nurse, physical therapist, to assist the member with basic health services such as assistance with medication, nursing care, physical, occupational and/or speech therapy.

Homemaker
An in-home caregiver hired through an agency. The caregiver helps with housekeeping items such as meal preparation, shopping, light housekeeping and laundry. The caregiver can also help with hands-on personal care items such as personal hygiene, bathing, grooming and feeding.

Nursing - Skilled
This service provides skilled nursing services to a member in their home for short-term acute healing needs, with the goal of restoring and maintaining a member’s maximal level of function and health. These services are provided instead of a hospitalization or a nursing facility stay. A doctor’s order is required for this service.

Nursing - Intermittent
This service focuses on long-term needs rather than short-term acute healing needs, such as weekly insulin syringes or med-set set up for members unable to do this for themselves. These services are provided instead of hospitalization or a nursing facility stay. A doctor’s order is required for this service.

Personal Assistant Service
An in-home caregiver hired and managed by the member. The member must be able to manage different parts of being an employer such as hiring the caregiver, managing their time and timesheets, and completing other employee paperwork. The caregiver helps with housekeeping items such as meal preparation, shopping, light housekeeping and laundry. The caregiver can also help with hands-on personal care items such as personal hygiene, bathing, grooming and feeding. Personal assistant services can include other independent direct care givers such as RNs, LPNs, and Home Health Aides. Learn more about hiring a personal assistant.

Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy (also known as Rehabilitation Services)
Services designed to improve and or restore a person's functioning: includes physical, occupational and/or speech therapy.

Respite
This service provides relief for unpaid family or primary caregivers who are meeting all the needs of the member. The respite caregiver assists the member with all daily needs when the family or primary caregiver is absent. Respite can be provided by a homemaker, personal assistant service, nurse or an adult day health center.

Who do I contact for more information?
Please call your case manager’s direct extension, or for more information you can call Member Services.

 

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