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By Catherine R. May
Executive Director
A ray of hope for elder independence
Elders and their advocates, who acknowledge that if given a choice, most older persons would choose to receive long term care at home rather than in a nursing home, now have the first ray of hope from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
During the budget debate in both the State House of Representatives and the Senate, a new "Community Choices" measure was developed that elder advocates are touting as a major breakthrough for community-based care for the elderly.
Under this new Choices plan, which has the support of the Division of Medical Assistance (Medicaid, Mass Health), an elder who is on Medicaid, and is at "imminent risk" of nursing home placement, would be able to receive an average of $1512 per month in home care services, about half of the median cost of one month in a nursing home.
The current funding for the same person, through state funded home care services and through specific Medicaid services (such as Adult Day Heath or a Personal Emergency Response System) comes to only about $507 per month, so access to Community Choices will almost triple the amount available to maintain that Medicaid elder at home.
This funding expansion, which uses funds already within established Medicaid line items, will allow the state, in collaboration with Medicaid, Elder Affairs, and the Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs), to better help older residents who until now would have had no choice but to go to a long term care facility.
While the Community Choices plan will apply only to a limited number of Medicaid recipients, those who are clinically documented to be at imminent risk of nursing home placement, it represents a new and long sought emphasis on lowering the state’s overall reliance on nursing home care.
Medicaid expects to save money with the Community Choices plan, and ASAPs are eager to prove that the savings can be accomplished while greatly enhancing the quality of life of the elders who will have their own community choice. The number of elders eligible to access these new Community Choice dollars is low; likely about thirty nine new users per month will be eligible for community choices care levels.
Elder Services of Berkshire County looks forward to making this new higher level of community care available to area elders who want to make the choice to have care at home. Pending passage of the state budget, and the Governor’s approval, we will be ready!