Representative Barbara L’Italien (D-Andover) today announced that a $2,000,000 appropriation for a Caring Homes initiative project was included in the FY06 Conference Committee Budget and voted on favorably by the House and Senate. The budget is now on its way to the Governor for approval.
Currently a small pilot program at Elder Affairs, Caring Homes is a housing with services demonstration project which would delay or prevent nursing home placement and enable a MassHealth enrollee to live in the home of an individual or relative, with the exception of a spouse or dependent child, where they would provide their long term supports and 24/7 care in exchange for a stipend and would provide for coordination of care and respite services. The Caring Homes demonstration project provides the Commonwealth with a cost-effective and humane way to support families in their essential efforts to care for their aging relatives.
“Under the Caring Homes program, a son or daughter could take in their parent and provide a home for them in the community, said Representative L’Italien. The stipend would lessen the financial burden on the caregiver and would still be two-thirds the cost of a nursing home placement. The program also has potential to receive 50% federal reimbursement. It is a win-win for our seniors and for our taxpayers.”
The Caring Homes initiative is approximately 65% of the cost of a nursing home placement and would save taxpayers an average of $20,000 per year. Most importantly, the Caring Home initiative will allow elders to stay in the homes and communities which they have been a part of for years, bringing a sense of confidence and joy to their lives. It has proven to be a success in several other states and is sure to be one in Massachusetts as well.
