As family members who care for individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities (I/DD) age, there is an increasing need to support aging caregivers. Family members may need to plan for their loved one’s future or access state Medicare or Medicaid services for themselves. In response to this concern, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has created four valuable resources to help state Medicaid programs and collaborating agencies meet the growing needs of individuals with I/DD and their families. Direct Care Innovations would like to share how these new resources assist state Medicaid services, partner agencies, and caregivers of individuals with I/DD.
States need to discover the current needs of people with I/DD and their families before they can begin to anticipate their future needs. Collecting and analyzing several data points related to these needs, such as level of support needs, unique considerations of underrepresented communities, and age and health status of caregivers, can provide valuable insights, such as:
As caregivers age, they may qualify for state Medicaid and Medicare services. These services benefit family members with I/DD as their parents often keep them active in the community, understand their communication styles, and provide the stability they need to thrive and grow. Some policies and practices that may support parents of adult children with I/DD include:
Caregivers may need to rely more on home and community-based services when they can no longer take on as much caregiving responsibility. A person-centered approach to planning for this type of future need is key to effectively making this major transition smooth and simple for both the caregiver and the individual with I/DD. CMS encourages state and community agencies to utilize this holistic approach by considering these four areas:
Many states practice some of these strategies and successfully provide for the needs of caregivers and family members with I/DD. A few of the strategies currently being used include:
DCI understands various caregiving agency pain points as they serve individuals with I/DD and their families. Our priority is to help you better serve your clients by offering a customized, all-in-one healthcare management platform that includes EVV, payroll time and attendance, client ratings, and custom automated workflows. Contact (480) 295-3307 or request a sales demo today.
Source: Diament, Michael. “Medicaid Aims To Better Serve Adults With IDD, Aging Caregivers.” Web article. Disability Scoop. 22 Jun. 2023. Web. 03 Aug. 2023.It is no surprise to many caregiving providers that self-direction has exponentially increased in the…
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