North Carolina In-Home Aide Services: Assistance for the Elderly

Program Description

North Carolina In-Home Aide Services are provided to elderly residents and their caregivers in their homes with the intention of enabling recipients to continue to live in their homes and avoid institutional placement, such as in a nursing home. A broad range of services that help participants with their Activities of Daily Living are provided.

For families who are seeking home care assistance but are over the North Carolina Medicaid income or asset requirements, N.C. In-Home Aide Services may provide an alternative option for the cost of care.

Applicants are screened and assessed by a health care professional and case manager. If approved for services, and there is sufficient state budget, an in-home aide is assigned who will come to the home and provide a series of well-defined services.

Participants are allowed some flexibility with regards to who serves as their in-home aide. Relatives, including spouses and adult children, are permitted to work in this capacity provided they are at least 18 years of age and have given up other employment to care for the person in need. 

Eligibility Guidelines

General Requirements

To be eligible for services, one must be a resident of North Carolina, in addition to meeting the following requirements:

• Must be unable to perform one or more of the essential activities of daily living (the number of which can affect the number of services for which one is approved).
• Must reside in a residence that is maintained by the program participant (not necessarily owned). And the participant must need help with their daily tasks in order to remain living in their residence. Persons living in group homes, adult day care homes (adult foster care), or assisted living residences are excluded from this program.
• Someone is unable to perform these tasks for the participant, or the caregiver needs relief.

It should be noted that being eligible does not guarantee the applicant will receive services, as this program works with a finite budget.

Financial Requirements

This program does not have income or asset limits. However, some participants may have to pay a portion of the cost for services, known as a cost share. 

Benefits and Services

Program candidates are assessed and approved for a defined suite and frequency of services. In-home aides are not permitted to perform services not outlined in one’s plan. While complete re-assessments occur annually, one’s plan of care is reviewed on a quarterly basis, and amendments to services can occur at this time. The following is a list of commonly covered elder services:

• Errands: Food and household shopping, medication pick-ups, and transportation for doctors’ appointments.
• Home Management Assistance: Cleaning, laundry, assistance with mail, minor repairs to the home, medication identification, and check writing.
• Meal Preparation: Cooking, labeling, and storage.
• Personal Care: Assistance with personal hygiene, mobility, eating, transferring, and dressing.
• Respite Care: In-home short-term caregiver relief in planned and emergency situations.

Most beneficiaries receive somewhere between 5 and 20 hours a week of assistance. However, the hours of care one receives varies based on assessed needs of the program participant and available program funding. As mentioned previously, cost sharing may be required. If this is the case, co-payments are reasonable relative to the average cost of private duty home care in North Carolina when purchased from an agency.

How to Apply / Learn More

In-Home Aide Services are administered by the Division of Aging and Adult Services. To apply, contact the department at 919-855-3400. Priority for services is based on need. Persons who need considerable assistance with their activities of daily living or who are at risk of being placed in protective services or a nursing home will receive higher priority.

Additional program information can be found here.