The Caregiver Support Program is designed to ease the challenges faced by caregivers. It prioritizes the caregiver’s well-being by offering access to respite care, both formal and informal support systems, and financial aid to cover expenses related to caregiving services and essential supplies.
Administered locally by your Area Agency on Aging, the program ensures personalized support. Each caregiver is paired with a dedicated care manager. This manager conducts in-home assessments to understand the caregiver’s specific needs, provides ongoing support, and collaborates with them to create a tailored care plan centered around the individual’s circumstances.
Eligibility Criteria Based on Caregiver Category
To be eligible for the Caregiver Support Program, both the caregiver and the care recipient must reside in Pennsylvania. The caregiver must be an adult who is the primary provider of regular care and must fit into one of the following eligibility categories:
Category 1: Support for Caregivers of Functionally Dependent Seniors (60+) or Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease or Related Disorders
Caregiver Requirements:
- Must be 18 years of age or older.
Care Recipient Requirements:
- Must be 60 years of age or older with functional limitations, or
- Must be any age and diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder.
It’s important to note that within this category, caregivers and care recipients do not need to be related or live in the same household.
Category 2: Support for Grandparent or Older Relative Caregivers of Children
Caregiver Requirements:
- Must be 55 years of age or older.
- Cannot be the biological parent of the child(ren).
- Must be related to the child(ren) by blood, marriage, or adoption.
- Must have legal guardianship or be informally raising the child(ren).
Care Recipient Requirements:
- Must be a dependent child under the age of 18.
For this category, caregivers and care recipients are required to live in the same residence.
Category 3: Support for Older Relative Caregivers of Adults with Disabilities
Caregiver Requirements:
- Must be 55 years of age or older.
- Must be related to the care recipient by blood, marriage, or adoption.
- Can be the biological parent of the adult care recipient.
Care Recipient Requirements:
- Must be between 18 and 59 years of age with a disability.
In this category, caregivers and care recipients must also live in the same residence.
Financial Eligibility Details
The Caregiver Support Program does not have strict financial eligibility requirements for participation. However, financial reimbursement for services is determined by the care recipient’s total gross income and household size. A sliding scale based on the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) guidelines is used to calculate the percentage of reimbursement, covering household incomes up to 380% of the FPL.
- Households with incomes at or below 200% of the FPL are eligible for 100% reimbursement.
- Households with incomes just under 380% of the FPL are eligible for 10% reimbursement.
- Households with incomes between 200% and 380% of the FPL receive a reimbursement percentage within that range.
- Households with incomes exceeding 380% of the FPL are not eligible for financial reimbursement but can still access Care Management and other non-reimbursable services like caregiver education and training.
Ineligibility for the Caregiver Support Program
Individuals are not eligible for the Caregiver Support Program under the following circumstances:
- Either the caregiver or the care recipient is enrolled in Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports (Community HealthChoices/ LIFE).
- The caregiver has been convicted of or found liable for a crime related to abuse, neglect, exploitation, or abandonment.
- The caregiver is identified as a perpetrator in a substantiated report concerning the need for older adult protective services.
Services Offered
The Caregiver Support Program provides a range of services, including:
- Care Management: Personalized support and care planning.
- Benefits Counseling: Assistance in understanding and accessing available benefits.
- Caregiver Education and Training: Resources and programs to enhance caregiving skills and knowledge.
- Financial Reimbursement for Ongoing Caregiving Expenses: Coverage for eligible services and supplies, such as:
- Respite Care: Temporary relief for caregivers.
- Consumable Supplies: Necessary medical or care-related supplies.
- Supportive Services: Services that aid in caregiving.
- Supplemental Services: Additional services to enhance care.
- Home Modifications: Adaptations to the home to improve accessibility and safety.
- Assistive Devices: Equipment to assist with caregiving and the care recipient’s needs.
- Specialized Services for Grandparent/Older Relative Caregivers (55+): Tailored services to meet the unique needs of older caregivers raising children.
