5395.01
March 2004
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THE MULTIPURPOSE SENIOR SERVICES PROGRAM
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MSSP provides services and supports to help you remain at
home for as long as possible. The goal is to keep you from being placed in a
nursing home. It is a home and community based waiver to provide you extra
sources of help to keep you in your own home.
If you are married and ineligible for Medi-Cal because of too many resources and/or too much income, the waivers may help you qualify for Medi-Cal and for extra services.
In order to qualify, you must be:
§ At least 65 years old;
§ A person with a disability who is at risk of going to a nursing home. To determine whether you are eligible for MSSP, a nurse will evaluate you;
§ Currently eligible for Medi-Cal. IF you are currently in a hospital or nursing facility and want to get out, there are special rules that don’t count a lot of your spouse’s income and resources that make it easier for you to qualify. If you are not currently eligible for Medi-Cal because of resources or spousal income, or you would have a share-of-cost, see the attached flyer on payment of transitional services.
§ Residing within a county that has this program - See Attachment A for a current list of counties who have this program.
Services Available include:
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§ Money management help and counseling. See attached flyer for more information
§ Case Management – Usually performed by a nurse and social worker who will:
§ Assess your health and other needs
§ Develop a care plan to meet those needs
§ Arrange for the needed services
§ Monitor you well being
§ Provide advocacy
§ Information and referral
§ Respite – short term care for you by someone other than the person who cares for you when he or she needs a short break
§ Housing assistance which may include:
§ Physical adaptations
§ Assistive devices
§ Emergency assistance in relocating
§ Temporary lodging expenses in certain circumstances
§ Assistance to restore utility services
§ Repair or replace home essentials like a stove, refrigerator or bed
§ Legal services
§ Minor home safety repairs
§ Transportation
§ Escort to doctors appointments
§ Telephone reassurance
§ Friendly visiting
§ Health and psychological assessments
§ Nutrition services
§ Home health care
§ Preventive health care
§ Homemaker chore service
§ Meals at home or at a location
§ Adult day care including adult day health care
§ Personal care assistance to maintain hygiene, personal safety and activities of daily living
§ Protective supervision – 24 hour supervision for persons who are very frail or may suffer a medical emergency
§ Communication services – translation and interpretive services and provision for an emergency response system
§ Equipment purchase
No, there is no cost to you.
Yes. You can get both.
If you are currently getting the maximum number of IHSS hours, these hours cannot be reduced if you get some in-home help through MSSP.
If you are not getting the maximum number of IHSS hours, any in-home help through MSSP will not affect your IHSS hours.
See Attachment A. Look up your county and call the number that is listed. Say, “I think I need MSSP services.”
Contact Protection & Advocacy, Inc., if you are having problems applying or if you are denied MSSP.
If you have access to the internet, go to this website: www.aging.state.ca.us. Every library has the internet. Show this page to a librarian and he or she will get you to the website and help you print out the information.
You can appeal and ask for a fair hearing. In addition, you have the right to receive a written explanation as to why you are being denied MSSP. The written explanation will explain what you can do to appeal.
Call your Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for information and referral services in your community. For the phone number to your nearest AAA office call: 1 800 510-2020
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Contact
In-Home Operations at
If you are
interested in IHSS, contact Protection & Advocacy, Inc. or call the IHSS
application toll-free number: 1 888 944-4477. |
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Writing out checks to pay your bills
§ Paying your landlord and bills on time
§ Budgeting your money
§ Balancing your bank statement
§ Getting your home property taxes deferred
Contact the MSSP office nearest you and say, “I need money management help.”
If the MSSP office says “no”, call PAI.
See Attachment A for a listing of phone numbers to the MSSP offices, by county.
If you incurred expenses for services while at an institution to help you get back home, and you did not qualify for Medi-Cal at the time you got those services or had a share-of-cost, Medi-Cal will pay for services provided during the last six months of your stay at the institution.
Services Medi-Cal will pay for are called “transitional services” which help get you out of an institution. Services include occupational therapy, physical therapy and other rehabilitative services, architectural modifications in your home and case management while at the institution to help you get out.
If you are married and are returning home to a spouse or are already living at home with your spouse, there are special resource and income rules that apply that can make it easier for you to qualify.
For more information see Attachment A. Look up your county, call the number that is listed and ask for more information or contact Protection & Advocacy, Inc.
Protection & Advocacy,
Inc.
3580 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 902
Los Angeles, CA 90010-2512
Tel: (213)
427-8747 – Fax No.: (213) 427-8767
Toll Free/TTY/TDD:
1-800-776-5746
Multipurpose Senior Service Program Contacts (By County)
Also available at –
http://www.aging.state.ca.us/html/programs/mssp_contacts.html