A few years ago at the age of 86 my mom fell.  At the emergency room, my sister and I were given the news that my mom had broken her humerus (it’s a bone somewhere in the shoulder area).  We thought the injury could be fixed with a simple cast and we could take her back home.  The doctor informed us that usually surgery was performed on this type of fracture, but because of my mom’s age and her medical history, she was not a good candidate for surgery.

There wasn’t any surgery or cast that could fix her arm.  It was recommended that she go to a nursing facility for rehabilitation.  My sister and I were faced with this dilemma of wanting to bring mom home, but we both have families and full time jobs.  My father had passed away many years ago, and we had no other types of support.  We could not provide the home care that she needed.  We simply did not have any other alternatives, and mom had to go to the nursing facility.  With each visit I left with heaviness in my chest and a sense of hopelessness that I did not do enough to bring her home.  It really hurt to leave her there.

Now I work for the Center for Disability Rights in the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP).  I really wish I knew about this program back when my mom had to go for rehabilitation.

I was not given any options at that time which could have helped me bring my mom home and receive the care she needed.  I’m hoping that by writing this and through my work at CDR, I will be able to help others, so they won’t have to live through my dilemma. CDPAP provides an alternative to going into a nursing facility or getting assistance from a traditional home health aide agency.  In CDPAP, the person receiving personal care, or someone like a family member, is in charge of recruiting, training, supervising and terminating the personal care assistant. First, it isn’t as hard as it sounds.  Although we often think of these services as “medical,” often people just need a helping hand.  Even more complicated tasks can be done with training.  And CDR is there to support you though this process, helping you put together a plan to address your specific needs.

The personal care assistant you hire can be a neighbor, friend, or even a family member (with some limited exceptions).  You can hire a personal care assistant that fits your needs or the needs of your loved one.  For example, if you don’t speak English, you can hire an assistant that can speak in your native tongue and is familiar with your own culture.  And you control the schedule.  The assistants are there when you need them, not based on an agency’s scheduling needs.

CDR serves as the “employer of record” for the personal care assistants and manages all the personnel files.  As the fiscal intermediary, CDR bills Medicaid for the services provided by the assistants.

To be eligible to participate in CDPAP a person must have personal care needs (help with daily living activities), be medically stable, and have Medicaid.  CDR recognized that this program can effectively meet the needs of elderly people who want to stay in the community, but many people are still unaware of this option, so I was hired as the Outreach Coordinator to inform those dealing with aging issues about CDPAP.

So far, my outreach efforts have included: participating in a health fair targeting Latina women, sponsored by Latinas Unidas, (and as a direct result of this event CDR and CDPAP services will be featured in an article for “El Mensajero”), and having an information booth at the Lilac Festival.  I also just received confirmation from the Springut Group that CDR has been accepted to have a booth at the upcoming Park Avenue Festival in August.  CDPAP is also running an ad in the “Golden Times”.

I hope to let seniors and their caregivers know that they have an option and can have direct control over their home care services.  If you are a senior struggling to remain in the community or are a family member trying to keep a senior independent, call me at (585) 546-7510. I can give you information on CDPAP, talk about how CDR can help seniors, offer other resources or just be a supportive listener.

Be sure to ask for Celia Adorno Brown.  I’m happy to help.