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HOME CARE PROGRAM

Friendly bears made from hay bales watch the road in Hudson/Photo by Douglas Flynn

The Massachusetts Home Care Program is a state program administrated through regional Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) that provides on-going case management and home-based services to elders so they can maintain their independence and live at home.

In MetroWest, BayPath Elder Services administers the state home care program to the 14 communities in its service area, while Tri-Valley, HESSCO and Springwell serve other communities in MetroWest.

A case manager from the ASAP serving your town or city will assess the need for services and help the consumer develop a service plan. A monthly co-payment from the consumer is based on a sliding scale, according to income, and enhanced services are available for those who are eligible.

To be eligible, the consumer must be 60 years old or older. Applicants may be under the age of 60 with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or another related dementia. The consumer’s household must meet income eligibility guidelines and may be required to pay a co-payment based on a sliding scale fee schedule.

Effective Date: 3/01/2020, income guidelines for the Home Care Program, as set by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:

  • Annual Gross Income less than $28,865/one person
  • Annual Gross Income less than $40,842/two person family.

Individuals or couple who are over the income cap could be eligible for the Over Income Program, with co-payments based on a percentage sliding scale fee.

The consumer must also need assistance with at least six activities of daily living, including:
– Bathing
– Dressing
– Eating
– Transferring
– Laundry
– Housework
– Toileting
– Meal preparation
– Medication management
– Money management
– Grocery shopping
– Transportation

One of the areas requiring assistance must be a critical unmet need. Critical unmet needs are defined as personal care, medication management, meal preparation (or the need for home-delivered meals), grocery shopping, transportation for medical treatment or respite.

Experienced ASAP case managers will access each elder’s abilities for activities of daily living by completing an in-home assessment. Based on this assessment the service plan may provide approximately 2.5 hours per week of services.The criteria for objective assessment of activities of daily living are set by the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Elder Affairs.

Within the Home Care Program, there are additional levels of support and services for those eligible, including the Over Income Program for those who do not meet the income eligibility of Home Care Basic, the Enhanced Community Options Program (ECOP), Frail Elder Waiver (FEW) and Consumer Directed Care (CDC).

ASAPs serving MetroWest:

BayPath Elder Services, Inc.
Phone: 508-573-7200
Website: www.baypath.org
MetroWest towns served: Ashland, Dover, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Natick, Northborough, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, Westborough

Tri-Valley, Inc.
Phone: 800-286-6640
Website: www.trivalleyinc.org
MetroWest towns served: Bellingham, Franklin, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford

HESSCO Elder Services
Phone: 781-784-4944
Website: hessco.org
MetroWest towns served: Medfield, Millis, Norfolk

Springwell
Phone: 617-926-4100
Website: www.springwell.com
MetroWest towns served: Needham, Wellesley

For ASAPs covering the rest of Massachusetts, check out the MassOptions.

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