Adult Family Living
Do I Qualify for Adult Family Living?
Care Recipient Must:
- Qualify Financially for Medicaid
- Be approved for one of CT's Medicaid waiver programs called CT Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) Waiver or Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Waiver
- Live in the home with the primary caregiver
- Require assistance with Activities of Daily Living also known as ADLs (such as hands on assistance and safety supervision with bathing, dressing, eating, mobility, and toileting) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living also knowsn as IADLs (such as transportation, meal preparation, housekeeping, and medication reminders).
Primary Caregiver Must:
- Be aged 21 or older
- Not be a spouse or legally liable for care recipient
- Live in the home with the care recipient
- Provide assistance with ADLs (dressing, grooming, etc.) and IADLs (using the phone, managing medications, etc.) including hands-on care and safety supervision.
Want to Apply for the Adult Family Living (AFL) Program?
Fill out the form below to apply for the Adult Family Living Program and begin getting paid for providing care to a loved one in the home!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: I’m already caring for someone who I live with, how do I start getting paid for the care I provide?
A: When you contact Caregiver’s Home Solutions at (203) 870-9850 one of our trained professionals will discuss your situation with you and determine whether your loved one qualifies for Adult Family Living (AFL). If they do we will make an appointment for one of our Care Managers to visit you in your home where they will assess the client’s Level of Care based on the amount of assistance they require to complete Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). The Level of Care will affect the amount of the daily stipend paid to the Caregiver for the care provided.
Q: What is "Level of Care" and how is it determined?
A: The Level of Care, level 1-4, is determined by assessing the amount of care the participant requires in order to complete Activities of Daily Living (ADLs, such as bathing, dressing, eating, etc.) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs, such as grocery shopping, driving to Dr. appointments, laundry, etc.), and this in turn affects the amount of the stipend payment made to the caregiver.
Q: Under the Adult Family Living (AFL) Program how is the caregiver paid?
A: After signing up for Adult Family Living (AFL) with Caregiver’s Home Solutions, the caregiver will complete an application packet which will make them an Adult Family Living program participant with oversight and support provided by Caregiver’s Home Solutions. The caregiver will then report their weekly work through our online system or weekly timesheets, CHS will confirm the care provided, and the caregiver will receive a bi-weekly direct deposit to a bank account or debit card from CHS.
Q: Can my loved one have other caregivers who don’t live in the home?
A: Yes, the requirement for the Adult Family Living program is that two caregivers are established -- a Primary AFL Caregiver who lives within the home and provides care to the client consistent with the established Plan of Care. These duties could be supervisory and/or hands-on care. At the time of intake an Emergency Backup Caregiver must also be identified who is a family member or friend who will provide care in the event that the Primary Caregiver is unable to, however they do not need to reside within the home with the AFL Client.
Q: I’m providing care to my adult child with a disability, can I get paid through Adult Family Living?
A: Yes, as long as the individual requiring care is not your legal dependent, lives in the same home and receives services through the Connecticut Homecare Program for Elders (CHCPE) or Personal Care Attendant (PCA) program then they may qualify for Adult Family Living (AFL).
Q: How long does it take to start getting paid for care I’m already providing to my loved one?
A: Caregiver’s Home Solutions recognizes that many family or friends providing care to a loved one are already doing so without any reimbursement. In order to begin paying the caregiver for their services through Adult Family Living Caregiver’s Home Solutions will email or fax an AFL Application Packet for the caregiver to complete and return in order to become an Adult Family Living participant with CHS. Once this packet is received and an assessment is completed to determine the Care Recipient’s level of care then payments to the caregiver can begin. This process typically takes a week at the most but CHS will make every effort to complete this process as soon as possible, as soon as three days from the initial application.
Q: How much will I get paid for the care I provide to my loved one through the Adult Family Living program?
A: The amount of payment provided to caregivers through the Adult Family Living program depends on the level of care of the Care Recipient, or how much assistance they need with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). Caregiver’s Home Solutions offers a generous 70:30 split of the tax-free stipend supplied through the program, with an AFL Level 4 caregiver receiving up to over $29,000 per year of tax-free stipend for their caregiving.
Q: Why does Caregiver’s Home Solutions (CHS) take a portion of the AFL Care budget?
A: Caregiver’s Home Solutions (CHS) provides oversight, training and support to AFL Caregivers who typically don’t have the experience or training that our non-AFL caregivers do. CHS employs dedicated Care Managers who visit Adult Family Living clients and caregivers on a regular basis, ensuring the Plan of Care is meeting the needs of the care recipient and that the AFL caregiver has all of the skills and training they need in order to provide the assistance needed by the care recipient. We also have a Registered Nurse who visits AFL clients periodically to ensure there is no change in their medical condition and that the Plan of Care is meeting all of their care needs. Finally, should an AFL caregiver become sick or otherwise be unable to provide care and the Emergency Backup Caregiver is unable to fill in, CHS can provide Respite Care services in lieu of paying the primary or backup AFL caregiver.
Q: What if the care recipient goes to the hospital or rehab?
A: If at any time the AFL care recipient is admitted to a hospital or long-term care facility, an Interruption of Service will be entered and the caregiver will cease providing care and receiving their daily stipend. At the time the care recipient is discharged from the facility the Interruption of Service will be removed and the caregiver will resume providing care and receiving their daily stipend.