The mission of Medicaid funded personal care services is to supplement the family and/or community supports that are available to maintain the recipient in the community. This program is not intended to be a substitute for available family and/or community supports.

“Available family” means a relative or relatives who reside with or close by a recipient, and who have been, or are capable of assisting the recipient with their daily living at home, rather than institutionalizing them. “Community supports” include local volunteer organizations, churches, charities, and other public programs that are presently assisting a qualified recipient with their daily living in a home setting.

Medicaid recipients who are either:

            1.  At least 65 years old, OR

            2.  At least 21 years old and disabled; AND            

Responsible representative” is defined as the person designated by the recipient to act on his/her behalf in the process of accessing personal care services.

This should be a person who is very familiar with a recipient’s medical condition, doctor’s care, hospitalizations, and with the recipient’s abilities to care for themselves. This person should have the authority of the recipient to speak in the recipient’s behalf and to make decisions concerning the needs and care of a recipient. VERY IMPORTANT – Wherever and whenever possible, the “responsible representative” designated by the recipient should be present for the in-home assessment.

By rule and by policy, the Department has established the following as “activities of daily living:"

• Eating
• Bathing
• Dressing
• Grooming
• Transferring (getting in/out of the tub, or from bed to a chair)
• Ambulation (ability whether physically or motorized to move about the recipient’s home, the premises, or outside the home)
• Toileting

� Instrumental activities of daily living are those tasks that, although not absolutely necessary for day to day living, enhance the recipient's care and further assist staying in the home and community.  By rule and by policy, the Department has established the following as instrumental activities of daily living:

• Light housekeeping
• Food preparation and storage
• Grocery shopping
• Laundry
• Reminding the recipient to take medication
• Assisting with scheduling medical appointments when necessary
• Accompanying the recipient to medical appointments where the recipient is in a very frail condition
• Assisting the recipient to access transportation

Personal care services may not be used to provide:

• Specialized nursing procedures (e.g. – insertion of feeding tube, indwelling catheter, tracheostomy care, or injections)
• Skilled nursing services
• Medication administration
• Rehabilitative services
• Specialized aide procedures (e.g. – measuring/recording vital signs, specimen collection, special skin care, etc.)
• Cleaning areas of home not occupied by recipient    
• Food preparation or laundry for anyone other than recipient
• Companionship
• Supervision
• Respite of the primary care giver

To begin the process call 1-877-456-1146.  At that number, a prospective recipient may speak to a representative at Affiliated Computer Services (ACS). ACS is contracted with, and serves as an agent of the State of Louisiana to assist in the administration of this program. If a Responsible Representative is calling to apply for an applicant, he/she  must have the potential recipient's name, physical/home address, and their Medicaid number readily available when they call, contact, or correspond with ACS.

The purpose of the personal care services is to enable an individual whose needs would otherwise require placement in an acute or long term care facility to remain safely in that individual’s own home.