Choices Home Care Waiver
Choices is a consumer directed Medicaid waiver program that provides home and community-based services and supports to older Ohioans. Providers can be agency or non-agency professional caregivers or individual providers such as friends, neighbors or some relatives (spouses, parents, step-parents and legal guardians are ineligible). Choices is available to current PASSPORT consumers in the central Ohio, northwestern Ohio, and southern Ohio regions served by the Area Agencies on Aging based in Columbus, Toledo, Marietta and Rio Grande.
The consumer is the "employer of record" for Individual providers and is responsible for hiring, firing, training, and completing all necessary tax forms and payroll duties for these workers. The Choices program uses a Fiscal Employer Agent to assist the consumer with the financial aspects of the program.
Is self-directed care right for you?
The Choices waiver provides options for some participants to direct their own care. Self-directed care may be right for you if you agree with any of these statements:
- I am satisfied with the home and community-based services that help me so I can continue living in the community.
- I have special health needs (e.g., memory impairment, chronic health problem or disability) or cultural needs (e.g., language) that could be better met by a service where I can use workers that I know, like my family or friends.
- My life could be improved if I had more control over my services and could hire workers that I know and tell them what to do and when.
- I can describe how taking responsibility for my services will benefit me.
- I am interested in managing the help that I need so I can live in the community.
- I can write out a plan, on my own or with help, for the activities that help me stay in the community.
- I can take on the responsibility as an employer of finding, hiring, and managing workers myself or if someone helped me.
- I know someone who can help me with the responsibility of being an employer, if needed.
Your PASSPORT administrative agency can help you better understand self-directed care options.
