How is CDPA different from other home care programs?
Consumer Directed Personal Assistance is designed to provide you with more freedom and flexibility in your home care services, as well as more responsibility for ensuring that your home care is provided in a safe and high-quality way.
Traditional home care programs have what are called "levels." There are certain tasks that a "homemaker" may provide, others that a "personal care aide" can provide, others a "home health aide" can provide, others a "Licensed Practical Nurse" or "Registered Nurse" can provide. CDPAP, on the other hand, has one level of employee ... the Personal Assistant.
In the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program:
- You recruit, select, train, and supervise your own Personal Assistants;
- You decide when your Personal Assistants work for you, within the number of hours per week you are authorized for;
- You are responsible for making sure your hours of service and necessary care tasks are covered;
- You complete and submit a time sheet once a week to the North Country Center for Independence;
- Using those time sheets, Personal Assistants are paid every other week by Concepts of Independent Choices, with funds from Medicaid;
- Concepts of Independent Choices sets the pay rates and benefits for Personal Assistants.
Since you, the consumer, assume employer responsibilities, (to recruit, hire, train, supervise and terminate) the rules shift a bit. Instead of a nurse from an agency, you are the one who is directing your "Plan of Care" that was developed by the county caseworker and nurse who performed your program assessment. Your authorized hours are based on this plan and it is your county caseworker who has the authority to approve how many hours of service you may have.
Who can use the program?
To be eligible for the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, CDPAP, an individual must be eligible for:
- Medicaid
- Home care services
- Be self-directing or have a self-directing adult "surrogate" who is willing and able to assume the program's roles and responsibilities.
Self-directing means:
- You or a surrogate has the desire and ability to make life style choices;
- You or a surrogate has the ability to organize the environment to implement those choices and;
- You or a surrogate has the capability to understand the consequences of those actions and willingness to take responsibility for them.
How do you find personal assistants?
You can hire almost anyone you like to be your Personal Assistants, including:
- Neighbors;
- Friends;
- People you recruit through want ads and flyers;
- People you find on lists of "private duty" home care aides;
- Some family members, including in-laws, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.
- The only people you can't hire are immediate family ... spouse, sisters, brothers, or parents.
The only requirement for Personal Assistants is that you feel you can train them to provide your services, and that you will be comfortable having them work for you.
How do you sign up?
First you have to be determined eligible for the program. Anyone who is Medicaid eligible and interested in the program should contact the Clinton County Department of Social Services (DSS) at 518-565-3285. A caseworker and nurse will evaluate you to make sure that you are right for the program. Once you have been approved the county will refer you to the North Country Center for Independence to enroll you and help you hire your Personal Assistants.
518-565-3285 - Clinton County Department of Social Services
518-563-9058 Phone & TTY - North Country Center for Independence
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North Country Center for Independence
102 Sharron Avenue
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Open Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
518-563-9058 Phone & TTY
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The North Country Center for Independence receives funding from:
The NYS Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities, Resource Center for Independent Living, United Way of the Adirondack Region, Clinton County Office for the Aging, Concepts of Independent Choices, New York State Medicaid, Plattsburgh City School District / 21st Century Learning Centers, the Northeast Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center, Stewarts Shops, Mountain Lake PBS, Northeast Public Radio, as well as civic organizations and individual donors throughout the North Country.
© 2010, North Country Center
for Independence, Ltd.
Updated: 7 / 15 / 10
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