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Aging and Adult Services

         

In-Home Services


Alternatives Program

The Alternatives Program offers in-home services to persons to enable these individuals to remain in their own home for as long as possible. If these services were not available, these seniors who have health, mobility or functional limitations would not be able to continue living in their current living arrangements. The program offers a wide variety of in-home services available to adults based on an assessment of their needs.

The individual receives a comprehensive assessment by a case manager and, at times, a registered nurse, examining the client's physical, mental, social and financial status. The case manager works closely with the individual, their family, and other social and health agencies to identify service needs and the funding resources available to meet those needs.

The case manager develops and manages a comprehensive care plan of services designed to maintain the individual at home based on the assessment. Services are monitored monthly by the case manager to re-evaluate the individual's needs.

Services that may be Available

Case Management: Assessment, development of a care plan, coordination and monitoring of formal and informal services.

Homemaker Services: Assistance with supplemental homemaking activities.

Chore Services: Workers assist with minor home repair and maintenance necessary to protect the health and safety of the individual. Typical chore services include shoveling snow off walkways, clearing trash out of a yard, replacing locks, and minor plumbing repairs such as unclogging a drain.

Supportive Maintenance: Assistance with personal care needs.

Adult Day Care: Socialization, recreation and cultural activities provided in a supervised setting.

Personal Emergency Response System: An automatic telephone dialing service worn by the individual to contact family or other medical personnel in an emergency situation.

Respite Care: Short-term services to relieve persons who care for a homebound individual.


Eligibility
To be eligible to participate in the program a person must:
Cost
Financial eligibility for the Alternatives Program is determined by the Area Agency on Aging case manager. Individuals who qualify for the program may be required to pay a small fee based on a sliding fee schedule. Donations are always appreciated.

Examples of Services Available


Application or Referral
Please contact your nearest Area Agency on Aging for more information.

Medicaid Aging Waiver Program

The purpose of this program is to provide an option for people 65 and older who have medical problems to live outside of an institution. The goal is to assist seniors who meet nursing home admission requirements but wish to remain in a home setting, to do so in a safe manner. It is different from regular Medicaid because it allows special income deductions to meet their living expenses, exempts income from spouse even if they are living with them, and has a separate formula for calculation of assets. Clients receive all of the standard Medicaid benefits as well as the additional benefits of the Aging Waiver. Medicaid will recover only the cost of actual care provided from the estate of the client. Medicaid does not take the entire estate.

A client must be age 65 or older, be a resident of the State of Utah and meet both financial and medical eligibility. The core service provided by the Aging Waiver is Case Management. A Case Manager will work with the applicant throughout this process and, if the client is accepted for this program, the Case Manager will be involved in the client's plan of care as long as they remain at home with services. The role of the Case Manager is to assist with accessing community resources, authorizing use of Medicaid services, assuring quality of services provided and assuring that the health and safety needs of client are able to be met in a home setting.

In addition to Case Management, other Waiver Services that the client may qualify for include:

The Aging Waiver is administered through the Department of Health Care Financing. They contract with the State Division of Aging and Adult Services for the daily operation of the program. There is a Case Management Agency for every area of the State of Utah. For information on how to inquire further about this program, please contact your local Area Agency on Aging or the State Division of Aging at 1-801-538-3910.