Program Assists Primary Caregivers of Disabled Adults and Dependent Children
Family members or informal supports provide 80 percent of the care received by older adults in the United States today.
Additionally, according to 2016 data, over 860,000 adults, over the age of 60 nationwide, are caring for an adult child with developmental disabilities.
Likewise, with the drug epidemic hitting disastrous proportions, Pennsylvania is home to over 196,000 children who are being raised by their grandparents due to the parents’ addiction(s).
According to statistics, 88,726 grandparents in Pennsylvania are raising these children; of that figure, 20.2 percent are in poverty and 25.3 percent are disabled.
However, there is hope and support available in Clearfield County.
The Pennsylvania Caregiver Support Program, administered in Clearfield County by the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging Inc., provides support to caregivers through respite care, reimbursement for caregiving-related expenses, education, training and counseling.
The purpose of this program is to alleviate the stress often associated with caregiving, and its goal is to improve the well-being of eligible caregivers.
Participants in this program would be assigned a care manager who will work with the caregiver by completing a comprehensive assessment of the caregiver’s needs, provide support and partner with the caregiver to develop a person-centered care plan.
To be eligible for this program, both the caregiver and the care receiver must be a resident of Pennsylvania and must be willing to participate in the needs assessment conducted by the assigned case manager.
The caregiver must also be an adult who is primarily responsible for providing care on a regular basis.
Three categories exist under the PA Caregiver Support Program. The first applies to any caregiver, age 18 or older, who cares for an individual age 60 and older with functional deficits, or, an individual ages 18-59 with Alzheimer’s/other chronic dementia, or, an individual under the age of 18 with chronic dementia.
For this category, the caregiver and care receiver are not required to be related or live in the same residence.
The second category applies to any caregiver who is age 55 or older and who is providing care to a dependent child under the age of 18.
In this category, the caregiver and the care receiver must be related by blood, marriage or adoption and must live within the same residence.
The final category applies to any caregiver who is age 55 or older who is providing care to an individual age 18-59 with a disability (non-dementia related).
Under this category, the caregiver and care receiver must also be related by blood, marriage or adoption and live in the same residence.
No financial eligibility requirements exist for the PA Caregiver Support Program. However, the amount of expense reimbursement is based on income and household size of the care receiver.
The percentage of reimbursement is determined using a sliding scale base on the current Federal Poverty Level (FPL) guidelines and allows care receiver incomes up to 380 percent of the FPL.
Those whose income is 200 percent or lower than the FPL will receive 100 percent reimbursement. The percentage of reimbursement is calculated by a participant’s case manager, according to these guidelines, based on the care receiver’s proof of income statement(s).
To receive more information on this program or to apply, please contact the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging Inc., at 814-765-2696.
Programs and services of the agency are funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging Inc., Mature Resources Foundation and local and consumer contributions.
