According to Harvard researchers, at least two-thirds of American seniors need help with everyday tasks.
Maybe you’re among them, or maybe someone you love is among them. If so, you need—and deserve—access to the resources necessary to live a full life.
An important Medicaid program, CDPAP is one of those resources. So what is CDPAP? Who is eligible? How can you or your loved ones benefit from it?
Find answers to these questions and more in this helpful guide.
CDPAP, meaning Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, is part of New York State’s Medicaid program. It allows senior citizens and the disabled to recruit, hire, and manage their own home health care workers.
The acronyms CDPAP and CDPAS are often used interchangeably, and they do essentially refer to the same program. CDPAS, or Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services, simply refer to the services provided under CDPAP.
Importantly, under CDPAP, CDPAS providers can include family members and friends. In other words, with CDPAP, you’ll remain at home under the care of a relative or friend. Meanwhile, that caregiver—a son, niece, sibling, neighbor, or other person you trust—will receive payments and benefits for the services they provide.
Even under CDPAP, though, certain relatives are not eligible to receive payment. For example, CDPAP does not compensate spouses for at-home care. The program also does not compensate parents for the care of minor children.
Under CDPAP, personal caregivers can perform all the basics of custodial care. These include bathing, dressing, and preparing meals.
Unlike home health care aides, though, CDPAP caregivers can also provide skilled care, such as:
The CDPAP assessment process will determine the services for which your caregiver can expect compensation.
As a program of New York State, CDPAP eligibility begins with an individual’s status as a resident of the state.
Beyond that, CDPAP eligibility is determined mainly by three criteria:
If you live in New York and meet these requirements, it’s worth learning more about CDPAP. If you live elsewhere, contact your state’s Medicaid office to see if a similar program is available.
Getting started with CDPAP involves a few steps.
Your doctor should begin the process by completing a Physician’s Order for Services. This order indicates that, according to your doctor’s professional judgment, you require home care services.
Beyond a doctor’s order, most program participants must also submit to at least one assessment by an independent nurse. Besides basic eligibility, this assessment will establish the type, frequency, and duration of services.
Applying for CDPAP also requires you or a representative to complete paperwork, including the CDPAP form.
Finally, you’ll need to choose a caregiver, although you likely had a loved one in mind when you began exploring the program.
While these basic steps seem straightforward, the entire process is actually rather complex. Fortunately, various CDPAP agencies serve as intermediaries between consumers and the CDPAP program. They provide expertise throughout the entire process. Once enrolled, they also ensure that your caregiver is fairly compensated.
CDPAP compensation rates depend on a variety of factors. Most significantly, pay rates vary by your location of residence.
CDPAP caregivers providing services in New York City tend to receive the highest compensation. If you live in NYC and choose the right CDPAP agency, your caregiver could earn up to $15/hour.
Caregivers working in Westchester or Long Island can expect the next highest rate of pay. With the right CDPAP agency, your caregiver could earn up to $13/hour.
Finally, caregivers in other counties should look for agencies promising at least $11.80/hour.
Besides monetary compensation, CDPAP caregivers also receive benefits. These include:
When you work with a reputable CDPAP agency, your caregiver will also have access to the support of a qualified clinical team.
You’ve already learned that spouses and parents of minor children are excluded from receiving CDPAP compensation, but can other family members or friends who reside with you be compensated for the care they provide?
The answer depends on your individual circumstances.
Government policy indicates a preference for caregivers who do not live with the patient needing care. However, the policy specifically offers coverage to co-residing caregivers when the patient’s needs demand the caregiver’s full-time presence.
Government policy does not require any formal training for CDPAP caregivers. In fact, the consumer-focused nature of the program leaves training, like other aspects of the caregiver-patient relationship, to the patient or his or her representative.
This is another reason that working with a CDPAP agency is wise. The best of these agencies offer caregivers support from a qualified clinical team.
The value of CDPAP is in the flexibility, freedom, and personalization of care it offers. With CDPAP, the elderly, chronically ill, and disabled can remain in the comfort of their own homes. They can do so, moreover, without inviting strangers into their private lives.
Many home health care workers provide compassionate and ethical care. However, even the most caring professional can’t replace the love and care of friends and family.
Furthermore, an additional frightening fact remains. Some health care workers continue to prey on vulnerable populations. With privileged access to patients’ private lives, unscrupulous health care workers can engage in theft or elder abuse.
The CDPAP program protects the elderly, ill, and disabled from these unfortunate circumstances.
In good times and in bad, your family and friends are the people you count on. It will never be possible to put a monetary value on their love, support, and care. However, justice—and basic economic realities of daily life—demand fair compensation for necessary services.
CDPAP provides this compensation. In doing so, it enables you to receive the care you need from those who care the most.
As you and your loved ones continue to live the fullest lives possible, count on our blog for all the information you need.
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