CDPAP Program

How it works:

The major prerequisite for the program is that you must qualify for Medicaid (if you’re not sure if you do, it’s worth checking with our team as the requirements often change). The person in the program who requires the care is known as the “consumer” and the caregiver is referred to as the “personal assistant” (PA). If the consumer isn’t able to manage their own care, a “designated representative” (DR) can manage the program for them. (However, the DR cannot also be the PA.) Here are some main elements to be aware of:

• The consumer/DR is responsible for selecting his or her own caregiver—their PA. The PA can be a friend, neighbor, or even a family member.
• The consumer/DR manages the PA and ensures he or she is properly oriented in the rules of the program. They are responsible for selecting, training and (if necessary) terminating the employment of the PA. For the purpose of this program, the consumer is the PA’s employer.
• Special Touch Home Care acts as a fiscal intermediary between the two parties and is responsible for processing hiring documents for the PA, processing certain necessary consumer documents, and paying the PA for the time they worked for the consumer.

Benefits of the program:

The consumer can hire their family, friends, or neighbors—which means that care is being provided by someone they already know and are comfortable with. The fact that the PA can earn an income while taking care of their loved one often helps them overcome the difficult decision of either providing necessary care for a loved one, or taking a job elsewhere.

There is also more flexibility with the care that the PA can deliver when compared to a traditional home health aide: PA’s can perform the same tasks as HHA’s in addition to certain tasks typically performed by a Registered Nurse (RN).

Want to find out more? To enroll or find out more information, click here to have someone call you.