Caregiver Support & Benefits in North Carolina
Attorney Jane Dearwester
Caring for aging loved ones and family members takes a great deal of patience, presence, and compassion. Caregivers can often experience burnout, anxiety, and stress when dealing with their aging family members who need daily, or sometimes even 24/7 supervision and assistance. At McIntyre Elder Law, we understand and appreciate the energy and effort it takes to be a caregiver and we are poised to assist you and your family during this transitional and challenging time.
Caregiver Support
Caregivers need support too. You cannot pour from an empty cup – so support for caregivers is vital. There are a variety of community resources for caregivers in your local community. These resources range from adult day care, caregiver support groups, and state and local government agencies targeted at supporting the aging community and families supporting loved ones who are experiencing physical and/or mental decline. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has a plethora of resources available online and in your local community. Two programs supported by NC DHHS are the Home Care Independence program and the Communities Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA).
Help for Hire
Home care independence is a consumer-directed in-home care program that allows an older adult to hire family, friends, or others as a caregiver or personal assistant. The personal assistant helps individuals who have functional, physical, or mental impairments accomplish daily activities. Individuals may require both personal care (e.g. bathing, dressing, feeding) and home management (e.g. cooking, cleaning) assistance to be able to safely remain in their home settings. A care advisor helps the individual consider options and offers advice on how to self-direct care as a participant in the program.
Payroll assistance is provided by a financial management service. In order to qualify for the NC home care independence program, individuals must meet the following criteria:
- Be 60 years of age or older.
- Live at home.
- Have home management and/or personal care needs.
Individuals must need the service for the following reasons: Individuals are unable to carry out one or more tasks essential to the activities of daily living (e.g. toileting, ambulation) or instrumental activities of daily living (e.g. laundry, shopping), and need help with these tasks to remain in their own home. Individuals must be able to direct their own care or have someone who does this for them.
Community Alternatives Program/DA is a Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver program that provides a cost-effective alternative to institutionalization for a Medicaid beneficiary who is medically fragile and at risk of institutionalization. In this program, low-income, disabled state residents have an alternative to nursing-home placement. Program participants remain in their private residences or receive care in the home of a friend or family member.
In addition to CAP/DA, North Carolina also has a Client Assistance Program (CAP), which provides information and assistance to people with disabilities to access rehabilitation services. While this is a different program, it can be helpful for seniors who need assistance with accessing various services related to their disability.
McIntyre Elder Law Can Help
McIntyre Elder Law can assist you and your family with applications, qualification, and/or retention for these caregiver benefits, and can also seamlessly draft legally binding caregiver agreements and other estate planning documents, deeds, and trusts to make sure your loved ones not only qualify for assistance, but that you can be paid for your hard work and services provided. Our benefits department is adept at coming up with creative solutions to help you structure assets to ensure benefits qualification and retention while avoiding having to spend down or liquidate your loved one’s (or your own) assets.
📍 Offices in Shelby, Charlotte, and Hendersonville
📞 Call us at 1-888-999-6600
🌍 Visit our website: www.mcelderlaw.com
Don’t wait until it’s too late—take control of your future today!
Attorney Jane Dearwester
Estate Planning & Elder Law Attorney
McIntyre Elder Law
Hendersonville, NC
