In-Home Care

Direct Care Programs to Help Seniors Stay Living at Home

Home care services can be a critical piece in helping seniors and people with disabilities continue to live safely in a home setting. These services provide assistance with those activities of daily life a senior might have trouble doing for themselves—things like bathing, dressing, meal preparation or housekeeping.

AgeWays Nonprofit Senior Services has several programs that offer direct care for southeast Michigan families living in Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair and Washtenaw counties. Some of our programs receive government funding, so people must meet eligibility requirements to qualify.  Government-funded programs include the MI-Choice Medicaid Waiver Program (offered through Medicaid) and the Community Living Program (a program provided with state funding).

How Do the Programs Work?

All home care programs provided by AgeWays include some level of care coordination. This means we work one-on-one with clients and their families to assess what type of care is needed and then work with you on a continuing basis to ensure the right level of care is in place. Any home care services provided are delivered by one of the local home care agencies that AgeWays works with. These home care agencies are carefully vetted and monitored to ensure the highest-quality care.

Which Program Is Right for Me?

The program that is right for you or your loved one will depend on two factors:

• The income and assets of the person needing care
• How much care and support you or your family member needs

The Resource Specialists in our Information and Assistance Call Center are available to help you understand which program you might qualify for and get started on the enrollment process. Our Call Center is available Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm, at (800) 852-7795.

MI Choice Medicaid Waiver Program

Cost: Costs covered by Medicaid
Eligibility Requirements: 

• Financial Eligibility:  $2,829 or less in monthly income. Individual assets limited to $2,000. Note: If the client has a spouse, federal spousal impoverishment guidelines are used
• Care Eligibility: Must need a nursing home level of care

Through the MI Choice Home and Community Based Medicaid Waiver, Medicaid pays for home care services in an individual’s home. This program is available both to older adults (65 and older) and younger people with physical disabilities. This program may also provide additional services if needed, like adult day services or transportation.

Services through this program are paid for by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Community Living Program

Cost: Participants are asked to share in a portion of the cost of services, based on a sliding scale
Eligibility Requirements:

• Financial Eligibility:  Higher priority is given to those with lower income and assets
• Care Eligibility:  Must be over 60 and require assistance with some aspect of daily living

Through the Community Living Program,  AgeWays partners with vulnerable seniors and their families to help them understand their long-term care options and come up with a plan to help older adults stay living safely in the community (their own home or apartment or with family members).  A nurse or social worker from AgeWays consults with seniors and their caregivers to help them problem solve, understand how to stretch their own financial and care resources, and connect them with outside resources and services that may help.

The program may also provide in-home services such as personal care, homemaking services, respite care and personal emergency response systems (fall buttons).  We contract with a pool of well-vetted home health care agencies  that provide services in the home for our Community Living Program participants. Our participants are asked to contribute to the cost of their services. This helps makes sure we can bring the program to as many older adults as possible.  We use a sliding scale that is based on your income and ability to pay, and your services won’t be impacted if you are not able to pay the suggested amount.

Funding for this program is provided by the Michigan Aging & Adult Services Agency, the federal Older Americans Act, local contributions, donations and cost share payments.