Questions relating to needing personal assistant services

Looking for a personal support worker while on holiday...

Hi Mike,

My husband and I will be staying in Florida next winter near Orlando. My husband is a quadriplegic and I would like to hire a personal support worker for several hours a week for his care while we are holidaying. Any information you could provide would be most helpful. We are traveling from Canada.

Thanks

Canadian Travelers

Dear Canadian Travelers

You are in luck! You should be able to easily find the help that you need by taking a couple of easy steps.....

Can PAS services help me?...

Dear Mike,

I have been on SSI since 1991 and on survivor benefits since 2004. I was then able to totally take care of myself, but have recently found that I have degenerative bone disease in my spine, neck and hips and that I also have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. I have recently heard from my Dr. that I may need an electric wheelchair to get around to the places that I need to go to and sometimes to just get my mail. I have been a very independent woman all my life so this is hard for me to fathom. I sometimes find it hard to clean my home now. Is there any services that can help my situation, and can PAS help me with it?

Thank you,

Looking for PAS

Dear Looking for PAS,

Thank you for writing. The succinct answer to your question is "yes"! Situations like yours are a perfect example of the reason and purpose for PAS...........

Disabled son's habilitation hours being eliminated...

Dear Mike,

Arizona Department of Economic Security, Division of Developmental Disabilities (DES DDD) is trying to eliminate my disabled adult son's habilitation hours which were 70/month. The DDD worker said they were told to cut my son's hours. His hcbs which include respite, attendant care and habilitation are through Medicaid/ALTCS and they are not part of the AZ budget cuts. So far no agency I have contacted is willing to show or provide what the rules, regulations and caps are for his hcbs services.

Is any of this allowed or legal?

Thank you

Being Cut In AZ

Dear Being Cut In AZ,

The PAS Center cannot give any kind of legal advice. What I can say is that each state has the authority to set its own criteria and rules for eligibility and oversight for services and supports. You should be able to get an explanation about any changes to your son's plan of care from his case manager by asking for the information in writing........

How do I pay a personal assistant for taking care of me when I am disabled?...

Dear Mike,

How do I pay a personal assistant for taking care of me when I am disabled?

Sincerely,

Questioning

Dear Questioning,

You write to ask a basic, but very important question. If I understand the question correctly, you want to know where the money comes from to pay for the services.

There are four basic sources of funding for personal assistance services......

Need help finding a PAS agency...

Dear Mike,

I live in Chula Vista, California with my mentally challenged son and I'm having trouble finding an agency that has PAS. Is there a central agency in California or is there one in San Diego County where I can apply at to get service for him, any feedback would be helpful.

Signed, Agency Seeker

Dear Agency Seeker,

I have some contact information for you that I hope you find useful. Before I get to that, however, I would like to take the liberty of providing ....

Where can I find funding for adult day care in Florida?...

Dear Mike,

I am the owner of a new adult daycare in Florida. Where can I find funding sources to refer my members to? I've contacted many agencies for seniors and elderly and no one seems to know. Help?

Thank You,
Searching.

Dear Searching,

For funding adult day-care in Florida, it looks like there are two avenues for you to explore.....

What is the maximum number of hours that Utah will subsidize a PAS worker?...

Dear Mike,

What is the maximum number of hours that the state of Utah will subsidize a PAS worker to care for my physically disabled friend? She will be moving to Utah in June of 2006.

Thank you for your help.

Friend Indeed.

Dear Friend Indeed,

My answer will be a bit more general than you would, perhaps, expect....

Finding attendants willing to travel to my rural residence and work for me...

Dear Mike,

I live in a rural area and it's tough to find attendants willing to travel to my home and work for me. Do you have any suggestions?

Rural Resident.

Dear Rural Resident,

This is a tough problem all over the country. Many programs do not provide mileage reimbursement,but you should see if it is available, and if not,see if an exception can be made for rural cases where this issue become critical....