The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, also known as CDPAS, is an alternative to traditional home care, allowing Medicaid consumers approved for long-term home care to direct their own care.

If you or your loved one are in need of assistance with activities of daily living – you may be eligible for CDPAP. Not sure if you qualify for this program? Give us a call and New Century will guide you through the eligibility process and help you apply for Medicaid.

To qualify as a personal assistant, one must be legally allowed to work. No formal training is required. Most people, including adult children, can serve as personal assistants and get paid to provide care under CDPAP. Spouses and Designated Representatives cannot serve as personal assistants.

A personal assistant can undertake a wide array of responsibilities including personal care, and many other tasks necessary to maintain the patient safely at home.

What are the Eligibility Requirements for the CDPAP program?

The following criteria must be met to be eligible for the CDPAP program. You must require care in the home, you must have Medicaid, and you must either have a representative that can direct your care –or be self-directing. While additional factors can affect a person’s eligibility, you want to begin your CDPAP application process by meeting those criteria.

There are three important criteria that must be met to be eligible:

1.         You must have Medicaid.

2.         You must require home care.

3.         You must be self-directing, or you must have a representative that can direct your care.

There are other factors that can potentially affect your eligibility, but if you meet the above criteria, we recommend you give us a call to see if you can enroll.

How do I find the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program?

Before a person can receive services, his or her doctor must send a completed Physician’s Order for Services to the local social services district, which then completes a social and nursing assessment. A nurse assessor then determines whether the recipient can appropriately participate in CDPAP, and recommends the amount, frequency, and duration of services.

What are the benefits of CDPAP?

• Friends and family can take of their loved ones
 
• Consumer independence and empowerment
 
• Flexibility to create schedules and dictate the plan of care
 
• Personal Assistants are not required to undergo any formal training
 

Consumer’s Responsibilities under CDPAP:

 
• Recruit, interview, hire, train, supervise and dismiss their Personal Assistant(s)
 
• Hire as many Personal Assistants as required to accommodate their health care needs and lifestyle
 
• Manage the services of their Personal Assistant(s)
 
• Develop a working relationship with their Personal Assistant(s)
 
• Receive guidance from New York Health Care in recruiting and training Personal Assistant(s), service coverage, and personnel   management
 
• Ensure that the Personal Assistant(s) provide the necessary employment and medical documentation required to work
 
• Notify the Service Coordinator of any changes in status including, but not limited to, the consumer’s address, telephone number, and any hospitalizations, as well as contact information and hours, worked
 
• Notify the Service Coordinator of any changes of each Personal Assistant’s name, address, telephone number, employment status and hours worked
 
• Arrange and schedule backup Personal Assistant coverage for vacations, holidays, absence due to illness, and personal time
 
• Process in a timely manner the required paperwork such as timesheets, health assessments, vacations, time off requests, and any other required employment documentation

New York Health Care’s Responsibilities under CDPAP:

•  Process the weekly payroll for each Personal Assistant
 
•  Coordinate annual leave, health insurance, and other benefit programs for the Personal Assistant(s)
 
•  Maintain confidential personnel files on all hired Personal Assistants
 
•  Provide periodic nursing supervision
 
•  Provide guidance with recruiting, training, service coverage, and personnel management
 
•  Advise and encourage the consumers to provide equal employment opportunities to all prospective employees regardless of  their race, creed, color, national origin, sex, disability, marital status, orientation, or sexual preference
 
•  Create an advisory committee that includes the Consumer, family members, medical professionals, and other advocates to  oversee the quality of services being provided
 
•  Act as the employer of record for workers’ compensation and disability
 
• Assess consumer/advocate’s ability to continue self-directed care on an ongoing basis

Contact Your New York CDPAP Specialists Today

Connect with Elder Healthcare Services for more information about CDPAP. Contact our specialist and they can walk you through the entire process.

For more information, visit our website at https://www.elderhcs.com/

Contact Person: Bobby Mendelovitz

Mobile:  646-854-3004

Email: info@eldershcs.com

Address: 2361 Nostrand Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11210