Structured Family Caregiving
Structured Family Caregiving means a caregiving arrangement in which a participant lives with a principal caregiver who provides daily care and support to the participant based on the participant’s daily care needs. The principal caregiver may be a non-family member or a family member who lives with the participant in the private home of the participant or the principal caregiver.
Necessary support services are provided by the principal caregiver (family caregiver) as part of Structured Family Caregiving. Caregivers must be qualified to meet all Federal and State regulatory guidelines, and be able to provide care and support to a participant based on the participant’s assessed needs. Caregivers receive training based on their assessed needs and are paid a per diem stipend for the care and support they provide to participants.
Structured Family Caregiving preserves the dignity, self-respect and privacy of the participant by ensuring high-quality care in a non-institutional setting. The goal of this service is to provide necessary care while fostering and emphasizing the participant’s independence in a home environment that will provide the participant with a range of care options as the needs of the participant change. The goal is reached through a cooperative relationship between the participant (or the participant’s legal guardian), the caregiver, HCBS Medicaid Waiver care manager and the Structured Family Caregiving provider. Participant needs shall be addressed in a manner that support and enable the individual to maximize abilities to function at the highest level of independence possible while caregivers receive initial and ongoing support in order to provide high quality care. The service is designed to provide options for alternative long-term care to persons who meet Nursing Facility level of care and whose needs can be met in Structured Family Caregiving.
Allowable Activities
- Structured Family Caregiving includes (Levels 1-3)
- Home and Community Assistance care services related needed IADLs.
- Attendant care services related to needed ADLs.
- Medication oversight (to the extent permitted under State law).
- Escorting for necessary appointments, whenever possible, such as transporting individuals to doctor.
- Appointments and community activities that are therapeutic in nature or assist with maintaining natural supports.
- Other appropriate supports as described in the individual’s service plan.
- Caregivers not living in the home of the participant is allowable if this arrangement began prior to February 1, 2020.
- Unskilled Respite for the family caregiver for a maximum of fifteen (15) days per calendar year (funding for this respite is included in the per diem paid to the service provider, the actual service of Respite Care may not be billed in addition to the per diem).
- Other appropriate supports as described in the individual’s service