Accessing the CES Waiver With State Plan Medicaid
As a caregiver under our family CNA program, your loved one may be eligible for additional waiver benefits based on their unique needs. One of these additional waivers is the CES waiver or Children’s Extensive Support Waiver. This waiver is especially beneficial as it allows access to standard state plan benefits in addition to the offerings of the CES waiver for children under the age of 18. The CES waiver may also be accessed on its own through PASCO’s IDD program.
What is the CES waiver?
The CES waiver helps children and families by providing services and supports that will help children establish a long-term foundation for community inclusion as they grow into adulthood.
This waiver provides access to numerous benefits that allow children to better integrate into the community and receive additional support for caregivers. Three of the primary benefits that PASCO serves under the CES waiver are respite, community connector and homemaker services. These services allow caregivers to receive relief and additional care for their loved one. Additionally, they allow your loved one to interact and expand on social skills with various individuals at home and in the community.
Respite
Respite is the opportunity for a caregiver to take time for themselves, knowing that their loved one is well cared for by bringing in additional individuals trained to provide care. It can provide an avenue for individuals receiving care to experience new places and things, meet new people, and increase their independence. Respite care also offers family caregivers a break to help maintain their own physical and mental health. Caregivers may use this time to see friends, pursue work or hobbies, run errands, or just rest. Respite providers are chosen by the recipient’s family and are paid for their services.
Community Connector
Community Connector helps children participate in typical childhood activities that build relationships and creates meaningful interactions within the community. Below are some examples of what Community Connector activities may look like:
- Going to a local cafe and encouraging the child to order their own drink
- Attending a social event, like a birthday party for classmates
- Going to the park and playing with/speaking to other children
- Visiting the local zoo and interacting with staff or other children
The goal of these outings is to assist your child in creating a sense of comfort and understanding in various social situations outside of the home. Those they interact with regularly may become a sort of natural support for the child, allowing their support system to extend beyond their direct caregivers and creating a sense of belonging in the community.
Homemaker
Homemaker services are provided in you and your loved one’s home and are allowed when an individual’s disability creates either a higher volume or more frequent need for household tasks. There are two types of homemaker services: basic and enhanced.
- Basic homemaker services include cleaning, completing laundry, completing basic household care or maintenance within the client’s primary residence only in the areas where the individual frequents. Assistance may take the form of hands-on assistance including actually performing a task for the client, or cueing to prompt the client to perform a task.
- Enhanced homemaker services include basic homemaker services with the addition of either procedures for habilitation, or procedures to perform extraordinary cleaning.
- Habilitation services shall include instructing your loved one in performing basic household tasks including cleaning, laundry, and household care which may include some hands-on assistance or enhanced prompting and cueing.
- Extraordinary cleaning are those tasks that are beyond routine sweeping, mopping, laundry or cleaning and require additional cleaning or sanitizing.
All three of these primary services within the CES waiver are performed by someone aside from the primary caregiver, parent or guardian – this individual could be a grandparent, aunt/uncle, sibling, trusted family friend, or more as long as they are above the age of 18.
Benefits of accessing both programs
The state plan benefits and the CES waiver act in unison with one another to create a well-rounded set of services for your loved one. In addition to the services they already receive under state plan Medicaid, CES offers an additional set of benefits that requires a separate qualification. These services are complementary, meaning that they work in parallel to one another to address different types of needs your loved one may have.
Like all additional Medicaid waivers, there are certain parameters that individuals must meet in order to qualify. For the CES waiver, individuals must be:
PASCO can help!
We provide and maintain CES services within our IDD department in addition to our Family CNA program. PASCO prides itself on strong interdepartmental communications between our service lines, ensuring that individuals are fully provided for based on their unique needs and that duplication of services can be avoided.
If you believe that your loved one could qualify and benefit from the additional services provided by the CES waiver, contact us below for more information.