Adult Home Help Services Explained

The Department of Human Services (DHS, formerly known as FIA (Family Independence Agency) provides Adult Home Help Services (AHHS) to provide support to persons in their homes and communities so that they can continue to live in their current setting, rather than a facility such as a nursing home or adult foster care home that could provide more services and supports. These funds come through the local DHS for people with Medicaid health insurance to pay for staff, providing supports to the individual in activities of daily living that the individual cannot accomplish independently. Examples of reimbursable activities of daily living (ADL) include bathing, dressing, administering medication, shopping, errands, housework, laundry, and meal preparation. Adult Home Help Services do not provide funds for public transportation, therapy, supervision, teaching, or home repairs.

Eligibility: If a person has Medicaid and requires help to accomplish basic activities of daily living and lives in an unlicensed setting they may be eligible apply for AHHS. AHHS helps to strengthen the natural support system. For example a parent may need help bathing a son or daughter over 18 due to their own physical limitations. Another example may be that a son needs assistance to cook and administer medications to a parent while the son is at work. Additional a Supported Independent Program may need help with one on one services to provide support to an individual in their program.

How to Apply: Adult Home Help funding is obtained through the local Department of Human Services (DHS). Once a request is made for AHHS, a DHS worker will make a home visit to evaluate income, resources, eligibility, and complete a needs assessment. The needs assessment determines how much help is needed to complete basic activities of daily living.

After completing the needs assessment, the FIA worker will develop a service plan which details how much assistance is needed. Before funding begins for AHHS, a letter from a doctor is needed verifying the need for services. The service plan must be reviewed by a registered nurse from the Department of Human Services.

The amount of money received each month is determined by the DHS needs assessment. Currently, the maximum amount a local DHS worker can approve is $333 a month. In very special cases, more than $333 can be approved. (The approved funding amount is calculated by the number of hours of care needed time the hourly rate). Any amount over $333 a month must be approved by a DHS supervisor or by the main office in Lansing. This is called Expanded Home Help Services. A chart is used to determine how long it takes to assist a person with a disability in the activities of daily living by activity. If the assessment of the ADL needs are not accurate or it takes longer to accomplish the specific tasks due to medical conditions, it is suggested that one discuss this with the DHS caseworker, and then with the DHS supervisor contact the DHS supervisor. If the matter is still not resolved an administrative hearing may be scheduled in front of an administrative law judge. Appeals must be made within 90 days after the agency mailed notice to you of the action you are appealing.

There are resources to assist you in appealing an Adult Home Help Determination. The ARC may be a good resource for guidance for people with developmental disabilities. For the Oakland County Arc, please contact (248) 816-1900. For the Macomb County, Arc please contact 586-469-1600. Additionally if you are working with the CMH system, your Supports Coordinator can help you.

With the AHHS money the individual can identify and hire their own service providers. The person providing the activities of daily living for a fee can include: friends, parents, brothers, sisters, neighbors, or, an agency that provides training, hiring and firing of staff. Spouses and parents of children under the age of 18 can not be paid with AHHS money.