Care Coordination, Living at Home Waiver Program
Choice, Independence, Consumer Direction: the watchwords of the Medicaid Living at Home Program-
The LAH program is designed to transition people who wish to live in the community from nursing facilities to homes of their own. Persons with physical disabilities, aged 18–64 who are residing in nursing homes may be eligible. If the individual is a waiver participant by the age of 64, then eligibility continues.
A core service is attendant care, and paid attendants may be friends, neighbors or family members, but not spouses. Participants may not be beneficiaries of any other home and community based waiver program simultaneously. However, they may be able to participate in the REM program at the same time.
Participants must choose to participate in the waiver program and to reside in the community. People who apply can use the care coordination organization, the Coordinating Center, as a co-planner in managing the many steps necessary to participate and leave the nursing facility. Plans of Service that are developed have to show show that costs are equal to or less than 100% of nursing facility level of care costs.
Key to the program is personal choice. One of the essential choices is which model of attendant care is preferred by the individual. People may select:
- Agency employed, where attendants are the employees of home health agencies and there is a nursing supervisor monitoring the attendant.
- Consumer employed, where attendants are employed by the individual and paid with public funds, using a fiscal intermediary; a nursing supervisor monitors the attendant.
- Self Delegation, where the consumer directs and monitors his/her attendant. There is no nurse supervisor involved.
An important covered service is Care Coordination, offered statewide by The Coordinating Center. Other services, besides nursing assistance, include:
- Fiscal Intermediary services
- Help with activities of daily living
- Help with community living activities, such as banking, grocery shopping, and shopping for necessary household items and clothing for the participant
- Household services directly related to activities of daily living
- Accompanying the person on appointments related to health and welfare
- Environmental accessibility adaptations up to a defined dollar limit,
- Personal emergency response systems
- Assistive technology
- Augmentative communication devices
- Aids for daily living
- Consumer training related to services identified in the Waiver Plan of Service
- Transition and Housing Services to assist individuals to transition from a nursing facility to a community based residence. Such services may include the following:
- Assistance with locating appropriate and accessible housing and with the processes associated with leasing and moving
- Security deposit
- Essential furnishings and household items
- Assistance with moving expenses
- Assistance with locating appropriate and accessible housing and with the processes associated with leasing and moving
To refer someone for this progam, or to receive information or an application, contact:
the Department of Health and Mental hygiene.
General Information: at 410-767-7639
1-800-332-6327
TTY 1-800-925-4434
Participant information is available at 410-767-5235.
Provider information is available at 410-767-5285.
