Guest Blog: IHSS Informational Meeting
During 2019, UCPLA will be featuring a series of guest blogs from program participants, Board members, supporters, and others who want to share their viewpoints and experiences. First up, we are excited to share this entry from self-advocate Kim Hudson, who holds a Master’s in Social Work and is active at advocacy meetings and workshops at UCPLA’s Washington Place Adult Day and Behavioral Services.
By: Kim Hudson, MSW
I have Cerebral Palsy and I am a social worker with a Master’s Degree. I have worked with people with disabilities for over 20 years. I thought that I would not learn much from the meeting I attended on January 18, 2019 at UCPLA’s Washington Place Adult Day Program. I quickly realized there are always things to learn about a complex program like In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS). I would like to share some of what I learned with you.
Kim Selfon from Bet Tzedek legal services and Yael Hagen from the Personal Assistance Services Counsel (PASC) presented. PASC is a countywide agency that provides a variety of services such as advocacy, training, and an attendant registry for anyone receiving IHSS in Los Angeles. They can be reached at 877-565- 4477 or at www.pascla.org. Bet Tzedek provides legal services to low income residents of Los Angeles. They can be reached at 323-939-0506 or at www.bettzedek.org. Kim Selfon distributed a booklet at the meeting called “The IHSS Companion” that contains all of the information that I will summarize below. If you or someone you know receives or needs IHSS I recommend that you call Bet Tzedek to get a copy of this useful booklet for yourself.
Here is some basic information: IHSS is a program that pays for caregivers or attendants to help people with disabilities or the elderly to remain in their own homes. IHSS services are available to anyone who receives Medi-Cal in Los Angeles County who requires help with at least one task of daily living. These tasks include: dressing, cooking or shopping. IHSS services are meant to prevent people with disabilities or the elderly from being placed in residential facilities such as nursing homes.
Thousands of people who live in Los Angeles County receive IHSS and it is an essential service for most people living on a fixed income such as SSI or disability benefits.
In order to qualify for IHSS a person must undergo an assessment by a “social worker” who assigns them IHSS hours based on their needs. These assessments occur annually and are extremely stressful because they dictate how much time a person will receive to pay for help in their homes each year. I recommend that everyone undergoing an IHSS evaluation have a family member, friend, or other advocate with them during their assessment. That advocate can explain any needs that the person with the disability may forget about or not mention due to the limited time they spend with their “social worker” during the assessment.
I placed the words social worker in quotes because the people who conduct IHSS assessments are not necessarily trained social workers. They may not have any particular knowledge about the disabilities or physical conditions that each of their clients has. Therefore, it is crucial for each person who undergoes and IHSS assessment to be proactive about informing the “social worker” about their particular disability and or physical needs.
Often times people with disabilities, including myself, want to portray themselves as independent by downplaying the assistance they require in order to remain active. But when dealing with IHSS evaluations it is essential to be brutally honest about your needs. I always advise people to think of what they need on their worst days and to describe those needs to the “social worker” in detail. This is not the time to be modest or shy about all that it takes to get you through the day.
IHSS hours can be given in the following categories: domestic services, meal preparation, meal cleanup, laundry, food shopping and other errands, respiration, bowel and bladder care, feeding, routines of bedtime and bath, ambulation, performing transfers, oral hygiene and other grooming, repositioning, range of motion exercises, care and assistance with prosthetic devices, help with medication, accompaniment to medical appointments, protective supervision, and other paramedical services. I never knew about all of these categories, if I had I would have received more IHSS hours myself and been a more effective advocate for others.
Each service in the above the list is assigned a certain amount of time and that time it is added together to calculate the overall number of hours that each IHSS recipient receives. The maximum number of hours that anyone can receive from IHSS is 283 hours per month. However, many of the ”social workers” at IHSS do not provide the maximum number of hours to their clients even though their clients may need them. In addition, many of the ”social workers” say that there are limits to the number of hours that people can receive for personal care services. Actually, there are no limits to personal care hours until a person reaches the 283 hour maximum.
Perhaps the best kept secret about IHSS is that there is an additional county program called an IHSS Waiver. The waiver allows the county to provide additional attendant care hours beyond the maximum of 283 hours. These additional hours can pay for time with a registered nurse or a social worker. The waiver can also pay for adaptive equipment and other services. Unfortunately, there is a waiting list for the IHSS waiver. The waiver is available to any IHSS recipient who qualifies for care in a residential facility according to Medi-Cal.
I never knew about this waiver. I am so glad that is available for people with severe disabilities or illnesses who want to remain in their homes rather than to be placed in nursing homes. All of us deserve to live as independently as possible, in a setting we choose, with adequate attendant care.
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About Kim Hudson, MSW
I have Cerebral Palsy and I use an electric wheelchair to get around. I am a Social Worker with over 20 years of experience working with people with disabilities and chronic health issues.
Read more from Kim and her husband Tom at https://www.loveonwheels.net/.