You Decide Your Care
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-07-27 11:53:04.627281-04:00
Consumer-directed services offer Minnesotans more control over their care
As we grow older, what do we value most?
Our ability to live in good health with independence.
And what do we fear most?
Losing our independence.
Those who are living with disabilities want as much independence in their daily lives as possible. But independent living does not necessarily mean doing things by yourself. It means being in control of how things are done.
Consumer-directed health care, where care is delivered in the home, is what people prefer.
A new Web site can help Minnesotans determine:
- Which services to receive in their home
- Who will deliver those services
- When care will be provided
- How much responsibility you want
You can now decide what help you need to continue to live in your home and in your community as you age. If you are providing care to an older family member, there are also more choices available. Consumer Directed Community Supports is an option in Minnesota that lets you choose and manage your own help. With this option you have more responsibility with hiring, training, and managing your helpers.
How does it work?
You decide how to spend your assigned budget allowance that is based upon your personal needs.
You can hire people that you know such as family, friends, and neighbors to help you with your personal needs.
You can also write your own plan or a paid flexible case manager, can help you write a plan for how you want to spend your allowance based upon your needs, get the plan approved by the county or health plan (for public programs only), find workers, define the worker’s job tasks (or responsibilities), hire and set-up your workers, and arrange for other services as needed.
A fiscal management service, called a fiscal support entity, will help you coordinate and manage the various financial tasks involved with Consumer Directed Community Supports. These include helping you pay workers and purchases, withhold employment taxes and comply with state and federal labor and tax regulations, bill public programs, and manage your spending.
AARP has a longstanding belief that public and private dollars should follow the person rather than the providers. The person decides how to spend dollars earmarked for his or her long-term care. The most important feature, however, is choice.
Find more information online about how you can stay in control of your care and the care of your family members.
Related Articles
- Who is in Charge?
Other Resources
- Consumer Directed Care Services in Minnesota
- Beyond 50.03 A Report to the Nation on Independent Living and Disability
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