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PERSONAL ATTENDANT SERVICES
Consumer Directed Services
Personal Attendant Services (CDS) are a consumer-directed approach to attendant services. The program allows an adult (18 and older) with a significant physical disability, as defined by the program, to retain the services of a personal attendant, and actually control his or her care. Services are paid for by state and federal funds through MO Healthnet (formerly known as Medicaid).
If you qualify for CDS, you make the decisions about who provides your care, and when and how this care is provided. For example, CDS consumers hire, train, supervise (and even fire!) their own attendants. They are actually the employer, complete with an IRS Employer ID number.
Delta Center administers CDS in the Missouri counties of St. Charles, St. Louis, Franklin, Lincoln, Warren and St. Louis City according to guidelines established by MO Healthnet and the Missouri Division of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).
Who Pays for Personal Attendant Services?
CDS is funded by MO Healthnet (Medicaid) and administered by DHSS. (In some cases, CDS can be accessed by non-Medicaid eligible individuals, but there is a lengthy waiting list.)
How Does Delta Center Support Personal Attendant Services?
First, Delta Center works with you to determine and verify your eligibility. We review a number of factors, including your MO Healthnet eligibility, ability to direct your care, current support systems, and medical status, to ensure eligibility before processing your application. The CDS program is not available for persons residing in a residential care facility.
Once we verify your eligibility, we make a referral to have an assessment performed, which we can help you plan for, if you wish. During the assessment, services may be authorized for personal care (bathing, toileting), housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, shopping and other needs as identified.
Delta Center offers any training or support you may require to manage your care. For example, we'll help you learn to:
- Recruit prospective attendants
- Interview and screen applicants
- Manage paperwork, including timesheets and MO Healthnet (Medicaid) requirements
- Advocate with the appropriate state agencies to assure your needs are being met
- Schedule and supervise your attendant(s)
Delta Center manages on your behalf:
- Criminal and abuse/neglect background checks on attendant candidates
- Processing timesheets and payroll for your attendant(s)
To find out if you qualify for CDS, please contact our CDS Intake Specialist at 636-926-8761.
Individuals who are enrolled on this Medicaid-funded program have certain responsibilities. Delta Center has responsibilities, too, as we are the fiscal administrator. Services are monitored to ensure compliance in handling federal and state dollars. Inaccurate time sheets, authorizing an attendant to work when you are in the hospital, or otherwise not at home, or any deception to access Medicaid funds when not due, are considered Medicaid fraud. All such instances are reported to state and federal officials for prosecution.
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