Who helps if I can't manage at home anymore?

What this means

• Needing help is not the same as needing a nursing home. Waiver programs exist specifically to pay for care at home for people who would otherwise qualify for nursing home care.
• PACE is the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. For people 55 and older who need nursing home level care, it provides doctors, therapy, day center visits, and transportation under one roof.
• An assessment is a conversation, not a test you can fail. The worker asks how you manage bathing, dressing, cooking, and medicine, and that determines the hours approved.

What to do first

1. Call 1-800-677-1116 and ask for an in-home assessment from your Area Agency on Aging. Describe the specific days and tasks that have become impossible.
2. Ask whether a Medicaid home and community based services waiver is available and whether there is a waiting list.
3. Ask whether a PACE program serves your ZIP code, since PACE is only in certain areas.
4. If you are a veteran or a veteran's surviving spouse, ask about VA Aid and Attendance, which adds money to a pension for people who need daily help.

What you'll need

• A written list of what you can no longer do safely on your own
• Your Medicare and Medicaid cards
• Income and asset information
• Your doctor's name and recent medical records

Where to go

• Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 or https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx — ask for the long-term care options counselor.
• PACE plan finder: https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare/#/pace
• Long-term care ombudsman if you are already in a facility and have concerns: https://theconsumervoice.org/get-help/