Care Services for Children with Disabilities in Louisiana

If you have a child with a developmental disability, you can get help here!
Louisiana Children’s Choice is a Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services waiver created to provide services to children with disabilities who currently live at home with their families or will leave an institutional setting to return to their families home. This waiver allows recipients between the ages of birth through 18 years of age to receive a specified monetary amount annually in support services, including support coordination, which is individually tailored for maximum flexibility.

Family Support Services

Family Support Services are defined as services provided directly to the child by a Personal Care Attendant (PCA). The PCA is there to assure the safety of the consumer and to assist with general activities of daily living. This relationship creates time for families to direct their attention towards other areas. Services are provided directly to the child and that enables a family to keep a child home and to enhance family functioning. Services are typically provided in the child’s home, but can also be provided in settings such as after school programs, summer camps or other places as specified in the approved Comprehensive Plan of Care (CPOC). This does not include services in the worker’s home.
Family support includes:

• Companionship services aimed at assuring sufficient supervision to the consumer to maintain their health and safety.
• Assistance and prompting with eating, bathing, dressing, personal hygiene, and essential housekeeping chores incidental to the care of the child. Housekeeping chores such as bed making, dusting and vacuuming which are incidental to the care provided, or which are essential to the health and welfare of the child rather than the recipient’s family may be provided. This service may include assistance with the preparation of meals, but does not include the cost of the meals themselves.
• Provide occasional transportation to appointments.
• Children will be transferred to another appropriate HCBS waiver when they reach age 19 if they continue to meet all waiver eligibility requirements. To be considered eligible, the child must live with his/her natural or adoptive families, step-families or other relatives, legal guardians or with foster families, or choose to leave an institution to return home to his/her families.

How do I get these services?

Autism

Southern Ingenuity provides a variety of help for families with autism, please call us to find out how we can help.
How do I get these services?

Center–Based Respite

Center-Based Respite Care is a short-term service provided in a licensed respite care facility to recipients who are unable to care for themselves due to the absence or need for relief of those persons normally providing their care.
How do I get these services?

Environmental Accessibility Adaptations

Environmental Accessibility Adaptations are physical adaptations to the home or vehicle.
These adaptations are provided when required by the recipient’s CPOC as necessary to ensure the health, welfare and safety of the recipient or which enables the recipient to function with greater independence in and out of the home. Adaptations to the home may include the installations of ramps and/or grab bars, widening of doorways, modification of bathroom facilities or installation of specialized electric and plumbing systems which are necessary to accommodate the medical equipment and supplies that are necessary for the welfare of the recipient. Environmental adaptations must be provided by an individual/agency deemed capable by the recipient’s family and the direct service provider agency. All providers must meet any state or local requirements for licensure or certification as well as the person performing the service (such as building contractors, plumbers, electricians, or engineers). When state and local building or housing code standards are applicable, modifications to the home shall meet such standards. Adaptations to the vehicle could include a van lift.
Exclusions include:

• Any adaptation that adds to the square footage of the home
• Any adaptations or improvements that are of general utility and not of direct medical or remedial benefit such as carpeting, roof repair, central air conditioning, a fence, etc.
• Home modification funds do not cover basic construction cost. For example, Waiver funds can be used to cover the difference between construction of a bathroom and building an accessible or modified bathroom
• Fire alarms, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are not considered environmental adaptations

How do I get these services?

Diapers

Diapers are provided for recipients three years of age and older when necessary for the welfare of the recipient. Diapers must also be included in the approved CPOC.
How do I get these services?

Family Training

Family training consists of training and education for the families of recipients served by Louisiana Children’s Choice Waiver. This training and education must be conducted by professional organizations or practitioners who offer education or training appropriate to the needs of the child. It must be individually approved by OCDD and incorporated in the approved CPOC. For purposes of this service, “Family” is defined as the persons who live with or provide care to a recipient of the Children’s Choice Waiver and may include a parent, spouse, children, relatives, foster family, legal guardian or in-laws.
Training and education includes reimbursement for travel expenses and registration fees for care givers to attend approved seminars and similar opportunities for knowledge dissemination when such opportunities are approved as appropriate. Travel is limited to the United States only.