In-home senior care is an alternative to care in a nursing home. However, hiring a caregiver, especially if a full-time caregiver is needed, can be expensive, so paying for In Home Health Care in Arizona can be difficult. Medical insurance often does not provide for non-medical caregiver assistance. In the state of Arizona, it costs an average of $19/hr. to hire a non-medical caregiver and $22/hr. to hire a medical caregiver. This ranks Arizona as the 32nd most affordable state, adjusted for per capita median income.
State-Sponsored Programs Providing In-Home Care Assistance
Arizona Non-Medical, Home and Community-Based Services (NMHCBS) is a state-funded program intended to assist with the cost of providing non-medical services to seniors. The major criterion for eligibility is that the senior needs assistance with several aspects of daily living, such as bathing, grooming, eating, dressing, using the bathroom or mobility (like walking or getting from a wheelchair to a bed). Seniors with Alzheimer’s or severe physical disabilities often qualify for this program. The program is intended to enable seniors to receive in-home care rather than entering a nursing home.
Although there are no income or asset restrictions per se for eligibility for NMHCBS, recipients cannot be qualified to receive Medicaid services.
For more information in the Tucson area, call the helpline at the Pima Council on Aging.
Home-Delivered Meals
If you’re a home-bound older person or you live with a disability, you may be eligible to receive meals. PCOA and its dedicated community partners will perform an in-home evaluation. For more information, visit the Pima Council on Aging, call 520-790-7262, or email help@pcoa.org.
Federal Medicaid-Related Program Options
Many states have Medicaid “diversion programs” to use Medicaid funds to provide eligible seniors the option of in-home care rather than entering a nursing home. Since federal Medicaid money is used for such programs, recipients are generally required to meet federal Medicaid eligibility requirements.
The AHCCCS, Arizona’s Medicaid administration unit, offers a Medicaid waiver program entitled “Arizona Long-Term Care System,” or ALTCS. The requirements are that the recipient be age 65 or older, have a disability, and require nursing home-level care. The program offers Medicaid-funded assistance to pay for in-home senior care as an alternative to a nursing home.
Paying for In Home Health Care in Arizona
There are many factors to consider when choosing in-home care for a senior. A major issue is cost, and to make the decision, it is important to know what state and federal funding help is available. Another important decision is whether in-home care or nursing home care is the best option for a given person. To discuss your home health care needs in the greater Tucson area, call our office at (520) 333-0333.