Overview
Long-term care, sometimes called long-term living, is a wide range of assistive services that can be provided based on a person’s individual needs.
Long-term care can range from help around a person’s home with personal care services such as bathing and dressing, to comprehensive medical care provided in a nursing facility. Generally, these programs serve adults with disabilities who qualify for Medicaid, also known as Medical Assistance in Pennsylvania.
Available Services
There are two types of long-term care services: home and community-based services (HCBS) and nursing facility services.
- HCBS, also called waiver services, are services and supports that enable individuals with disabilities to remain in their home or in the community rather than being admitted to a long-term care facility, such as a nursing home.
- Nursing facility services are both short and long-term nursing and rehabilitation services for persons that require 24-hour care in a long-term care facility.
More information about long-term care services is found at these locations:
- Attendant Care/Act 150
- Alternatives to Nursing Homes
- Medicaid and Payment of Long Term Care Services
- Long-Term Care Handbook
- PA Link to Aging and Disability Resources
- Pharmacy Services
- Community HealthChoices
- Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)
Services My Way
Services My Way (SMW) helps Pennsylvanians who need long-term care support manage their own services. SMW is an option for those who can mentally and physically manage their care and who need help with tasks of daily living . To be eligible for the program, individuals must be assessed as requiring a nursing facility level of care. SMW helps people eligible for the program, who choose to live in the community, maintain independence and manage care within their own homes by employing workers who can help with their care.
Services may include:
- Developing and implementing a service plan for your care;
- Help budgeting and accessing services and workers;
- Help meeting federal, state, and local tax, labor, and workers compensation requirements that apply when you employ care workers in your home; and,
- Making financial transactions.
Resources
Long-Term Services Resources
- PA Independent Enrollment Broker
- Medical Assistance and Payment of Long Term Care Services
- OIM Recent Operations Memoranda and Policy Clarifications
Services My Way Resources
Apply for Long-Term Services
You can apply for long-term services by phone or online:
- Phone: Call our Independent Enrollment Broker (IEB) at 1-877-550-4227.
- Online: Apply via COMPASS, Pennsylvania's benefit management website
Eligibility
To be eligible for long-term services, you must meet the financial eligibility and need criteria.
Needs Assessment
The IEB will schedule an in-person assessment for you, which is done in your home, in a hospital, or in a nursing facility — wherever you are. This will determine what services you need.
Completing an Application
The IEB will also help you complete a Medicaid application, which is sent to the county assistance office (CAO). A caseworker from the CAO might contact you for additional information if they have questions about your financial information. Once those things are completed, you will be notified by the department if you qualify for Medicaid services.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are two types of long-term care services, home and community-based services (HCBS) and nursing facility services.
- HCBS, also called waiver services, are services and supports that enable individuals with disabilities to remain in their home or in the community rather than being admitted to a long-term care facility, such as a nursing home.
- Nursing facility services are both short and long-term nursing and rehabilitation services for persons that require 24-hour care in a long-term care facility.
Contact
To begin the eligibility/enrollment process or if you have questions, please contact DHS.