Program Description
In Home (Care) Services are provided locally through the Mississippi network of Area Agencies on Aging. Through this program, a variety of services are provided. All services are intended to help low income seniors remain living in their homes as opposed to being placed, unnecessarily, into full-time residential care homes, such as nursing residences. The intention is to help eligible applicants that do not have a good informal support system to continue to live independently by assisting with Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, (IADL), such as housecleaning, cooking, and doing laundry.
In Home Services are also referred to as the Mississippi Homemaker Program. These services are funded, in part, by the Older Americans Act and are under the administration of the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS), Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS).
For Reasons Unknown – Mississippi has the shortest life expectancy of all 50 states, yet also ranks 4th for the highest percentage of residents who live to the age of 100 years old.
Eligibility Guidelines
Residency – Applicants must be legal Mississippi residents. There is no waiting period for persons having recently moved to the state. However, there may be a wait list for this program on the whole. Therefore, new state residents will naturally fall to the end of the waiting list.
Age – Applicants must be at least 60 years of age or designated as disabled by the Social Security Administration
Functional Ability – Applicants must be professionally assessed and found to have functional, mental, or physical challenges that prevent them from completing the tasks for which they are seeking assistance.
Financial Thresholds – the Mississippi Division of Aging and Adult Services does not have strict income and resource thresholds. However, one’s income is taken into account, which is based on 100% of the current Federal Poverty Level (FPL). As of 2020, for a single applicant, this figure comes to $1,063 / month, and for a couple, this figure is $1,437 / month. Please note, applicants who are over these income limits are not automatically disqualified from receiving In-Home Services. That said, this program is intended for low-income seniors. Therefore, one may presume higher income individuals will be a lower priority for the program administrators.
Other Factors – when determining if one will receive services from this program, several other factors are taken into consideration to determine one’s level of need. These include one’s race, nutritional risk, and whether the applicant lives in a rural or urban area.
Benefits and Services
In Home / Homemaker Services are provided independently by each of the state’s 10 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). The actual services and the amount of services provided to each program participant depends on the applicant’s needs and the availability of service providers and funds in the AAA region in which they live. The following types of services are provided, although they might not necessarily be provided in every region of the state, nor to every program participant. Services are provided free of charge to qualified individuals.
- Meal Planning and Cooking
- Grocery Shopping
- Home Delivered Meals (5 days / week)
- Housekeeping
- Laundry
- Personal Care Assistance – such as assistance with dressing, bathing, and oral hygiene
- Respite Care (to give the primary caregiver a break from caregiving duties)
Though not considered in-home care services, adult day care, congregate meals, and transportation assistance is also provided by the Area Agencies on Aging.
How to Apply / Learn More
To apply for this program, interested parties should contact their local Area Agency on Aging. A complete list of agencies, contact information, and the geographic areas they serve is available here.
This program provides assistance to upwards of 4,000 Mississippi residents each year. Despite that volume, many additional residents need and are eligible for assistance, but do not receive assistance due to budgetary limitations. For these persons, a waiting list exists.
