The Attendant Care Project was established in 1996 in an effort to promote personal care choices among participants eligible for services under Home and Community Based Waivers. Five Medicaid Waivers are now participating: the Community Choices Waiver, HIV/AIDS Waiver, the Mechanical Ventilator Dependent Program, the Head and Spinal Cord Injury (HASCI) Waiver, and the Intellectual Disability and Related Disabilities (IR/RD) Waiver. Attendant Care staff facilitates recruitment and provider enrollment of attendant(s), chosen by the participants. Attendants are reimbursed with Medicaid funds for services they provide. CDR (UCEDD) Nurse Consultants observe attendants providing care to ensure they understand what is needed and are capable of providing good, safe care. Participants are encouraged to participate as much as possible with their care to maintain as much independence as possible. Teaching and educational materials are tailored to the individual needs of each participant and the chosen attendant. Attendants and participants are assisted in enrolling with a fiscal intermediary, who handles the Medicaid reimbursement. The participant becomes the employer of record and the attendant becomes the employee.
Types of services provided by Attendant Care include:
- training
- consulting
- technical assistance
- dissemination of information
Topics of training for participants include:
- being employers of record
- being supervisors
- recruiting providers
- individualized training on personal care
Participants are given information on topics such as:
- advanced directives
- emergency preparedness
- health care rights
- hiring and managing personal care assistants
Topics of training for providers include:
- enrollment as providers
- enrollment with a fiscal agent
- specific personal care needs of participants
- diagnosis specific information
- HIPPA
- standard precautions
This project promotes consumer choice within the state’s system-driven long-term care system. It enables consumers to choose their provider and determine the schedule for services according to their needs rather than having both decided by a PCA agency or service coordinator.
Project Director:
Cheryl Sibert
Cheryl.Sibert@uscmed.sc.edu
(803)935-5298
