Caregiver, Aging & Respite Supports
Find caregiver supports, respite resources, aging-related referrals, and community-based assistance for individuals and families needing additional help.
This section will cover the following:
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Every section includes:
✓ Overview ✓ Eligibility ✓ How to Apply ✓ Helpful Resources
Aging and IDD: Access to Respite Care
About
The primary source of respite in Kansas for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) is the HCBS I/DD Waiver. If you are not on the I/DD Waiver or are on the waiting list, you can access respite services through the Kansas Lifespan Respite Care Project, which began in 2010 with a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living/Administration on Aging. This was made possible by the authorization of the Lifespan Respite Care Act in 2006 under Title XXIX of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C 201).
The goal of the Kansas Lifespan Respite Project is to expand access to and improve the quality of respite services for residents across the state regardless of age, disability, or special need. The Kansas Lifespan Respite Project has worked to advance the following objectives:
Expand coordination, participation, and dissemination of respite resources, resulting in a statewide respite network.
Increase family caregiver access to and ease in securing respite providers.
Increase availability of qualified respite providers and skilled caregivers statewide.
Respite care provides short-term relief for primary caregivers giving them time to rest, travel, or spend time with other family members. Respite supports family caregivers of children and adults across all age groups, disabilities, and chronic conditions. For information and referrals, visit the Kansas Aging and Disability Resource Center.
Eligibility
To qualify for respite assistance:
Must be an informal, unpaid caregiver (family/friend), providing regular care
Individuals must have a diagnosis or functional limitations requiring assistance with activities of daily life
How To
The Kansas Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) is a trusted source of information where people of all ages, abilities, and income levels—and their caregivers—can go to obtain assistance in planning for their future long-term service and support needs. The ADRC can refer individuals to an array of in-home, community-based, and institutional services, as well as provide decision-making support through a service called Options Counseling.
You can call the Kansas Aging and Disability Resource Center at 855-200-ADRC (2372) and talk with a representative or contact a representative in your region. Local Area Agencies on Aging serve as regional ADRC offices.
GUIDE (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience)
About
The Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model is a voluntary, nationwide model testing the impact of providing comprehensive services and supports for people with dementia and their caregivers. The model began on July 1, 2024, and will run for 8 years. The GUIDE Model provides Medicare coverage for a comprehensive package of care coordination and care management for people with dementia, along with support for qualifying caregivers including education and respite services. The model’s interventions help people with dementia to remain in their homes and communities while supporting caregiver health and wellbeing. The GUIDE Model aims to:
Help people with dementia remain safely in their homes longer, delaying facility or long-term nursing home care
Reduce hospitalization, emergency department use, post-acute care needs, and other costly expenditures
Address unpaid caregiver needs through improved access to evidence-based education and training, support services and resources, including respite care
Improve quality of life for people living with dementia by offering comprehensive services and supports through an interdisciplinary care team
Enhance coordination between interdisciplinary care teams and community-based organizations
Eligibility
To be selected for participation in the GUIDE Model, applicants must first meet the eligibility criteria, as described below. Then, if accepted, CMS will assign the selected applicants to either the established program track or the new program track based on the information provided in the application. CMS will accept applicants that meet eligibility requirements for either the established program track or the new program track taking into consideration eligibility for the relevant track, the results of the program integrity screening, model size considerations, and other reasons.
Established Program Track
To be eligible for the established program track, an applicant must:
Be a legal entity formed under applicable state, federal, or Tribal law, that is authorized to conduct business in each state in which it operates;
Be a Medicare Part B enrolled provider or supplier (excluding DME and laboratory suppliers) that is eligible to bill under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule at the time of application;
Have a currently practicing interdisciplinary team at the time of model announcement for at least the past 12 months prior to the deadline for application submissions, to people living with dementia;
Submit the NPIs of the Medicare-enrolled physicians and non-physician practitioners who they are proposing to provide services under the GUIDE Model (“Proposed GUIDE Practitioner Roster”);
If applicable, submit a proposed list of the Partner Organizations with whom they would like to partner in order to meet the care delivery requirements of the GUIDE Model (“Proposed Partner Organization Roster”); and
Use an electronic health record platform that meets CMS and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) standards for Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT).
To be eligible for the new program track, an applicant must:
Be a legal entity formed under applicable state, federal, or Tribal law, that is authorized to conduct business in each state in which it operates;
Attest that prior to execution of the Participation Agreement (in Spring 2024), it will have established a single, Part B enrolled TIN that is eligible to bill under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for the purposes of GUIDE Model participation;
Either not provide comprehensive dementia care to people living with dementia at time of application, or provide comprehensive dementia care, but have only done so for less than 12 months prior to the deadline for application submissions.
Describe, in their application, plans to implement a dementia care program that include: Strategies for staffing; Development of program protocols and workflows; Training; Development of a provider network; and Identifying a program director who will have primary accountability for implementing the dementia care program.
Applicants do not need to have a Medicare Part B enrolled TIN that is eligible to bill under the PFS at the time of application to the GUIDE Model, but if selected for participation, the applicant must have one prior to execution of the Participation Agreement. Signed Participation Agreements will be due back to CMS in Spring 2024.
How To
Applicants must submit all application materials via an online portal available on the GUIDE Model website at https://innovation.cms.gov/innovation-models/guide by the deadline. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that they include all required information in their application.