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Home Services and Care

Chore Services at Home

The following services involve tasks and maintenance to keep your home clean and safe. They go beyond the tasks of day-to-day living such as housekeeping and laundry. These chore services are available when you, a relative or landlord cannot do them because of physical or financial reasons:

  • Changing screens/storm windows, weather stripping around doors and caulking windows for seasonal weather
  • Cleaning appliances
  • Cleaning and securing rugs and carpets
  • Cleaning attics and basements to remove fire and health hazards
  • Clearing walkways of ice, snow and leaves and trimming overhanging tree branches
  • Installing safety equipment
  • Replacing door locks and window catches
  • Replacing fuses, light bulbs, electric plugs and bad cords
  • Washing walls, windows and scrubbing floors

You cannot receive this service at the same time as Adult Family Care, Assisted Living Program or Assisted Living Services.

Home-Based Supportive Care (HBSC) Services

These services help you with your Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) needs so you can stay in your home and be as independent as possible. Services include, but are not limited to:

  • Grocery shopping
  • Laundry Light housework
  • Meal preparation
  • Watching over your finances

You cannot use this service at the same time as Assisted Living Services.

Meals Delivered to Your Home

You can have meals delivered to your home if you do not live in a medical facility, are unable to shop for and/or prepare food without help, or do not have a caregiver to make meals for you. The meals are high in nutrition and meant to provide 1/3 of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Meals from a restaurant, cafeteria or caterer may be substituted if:

  • They’re to be delivered outside of a normal day/time
  • You have special dietary needs
  • You live in a hard-to-reach area
  • Limited to one meal each day

You cannot use this service at the same time as Adult Family Care (AFC) and assisted living services since meals are already included in these.

Residential Modifications

These are special changes made to your home to help you live on your own (without these changes, you would have to move to a nursing facility).

Changes to your home must be:

  • Needed for your care, as well as health and safety
  • Meet state and local building codes

Changes can include: 

  • Installing a ramp and grab bars
  • Widening doorways

Changes or improvements for general use are not covered, such as:

  • Carpeting
  • Central air conditioning
  • Changes that increase the total square footage of your home
  • Roof repair

Limits include:

  • Total expenses cannot be more than $5,000 each calendar year or $10,000 in your lifetime
  • You cannot use this service if you live in an assisted living residence or assisted living program
  • Changes to a rental unit must be approved in advance by the landlord, and you must continue to live in the unit for at least 1 year after the changes are completed

Respite Care

These services ensure you receive care for short periods when your regular caregivers are absent. The services are:

  • Available to you if you are unable to care for yourself
  • Provided in your home or a Medicaid-licensed nursing facility
  • Not meant to take the place of care usually provided by a nurse or therapist
  • Services are limited to 30 days each calendar year