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In-Home Services

Care, Support, and Essential Services in the Comfort of Home

Agency care managers help consumers in Blair County maintain their independence at home by working with consumers and their families to identify and address their needs. Care Managers assess each consumer’s home to determine the level of care they require and which particular services the consumer needs. They also provide ongoing support when consumers have problems or questions regarding the service they receive. Care managers are also a resource to families and caregivers, sharing their knowledge about community resources and services offered by the Agency. By working with consumers and their support system, care managers ensure that each senior gets the care and attention they need to maintain an independent lifestyle and stay in their home.

In addition to informal supports, private pay, or third party arrangements, the Agency provides the following services, which are directly coordinated and arranged by a care manager:

Personal Care and Hygiene Assistance: Bathing, Grooming, and Dressing

Personal Care
Personal care assistants help consumers bathe, perform routine hygiene tasks, get dressed, groom, use the bathroom, ambulate, and complete other daily living tasks. Personal caregivers may also provide respite care. A care manager and the consumer will discuss the amount of personal care that the consumer needs throughout the week. Then, the consumer will have the right to choose the ideal personal care agency for them from a list of providers.

Senior Daily Life Assistance: Meals, Medication, and Socialization

Adult Daily Living Program
Through our Adult Daily Living Program, Blair Senior Services, Inc. provides a structured environment for consumers who require supervision and assistance during the day. Seniors can socialize with others and enjoy nutritious meals while staff manage their medication and supervise to ensure their health and safety. The Adult Daily Living Program enables caregivers to work or run errands, knowing that their loved one is cared for.

Socialization, therapeutic activities, and a nutrition program are also available.

Please click on Adult Daily Living Program for more information.

Caregiver & Grandparenting Program Support and Financial Assistance

Caregiver Support Program
The Caregiver Support Program provides family caregivers with supportive care management services and financial reimbursements for expenses. These benefits are available to those providing daily care to older adults or adults age 18-59 with chronic dementia or severe disabilities. Whenever caregivers independently obtain additional help or supplies for their loved one, they may be eligible to be reimbursed monthly for expenses. Some examples of care eligible for reimbursement include respite care, nutritional supplements, or incontinence supplies. Other benefits from the Caregiver Support Program include hired helpers, benefits counseling, and caregiver education.

When an older adult is in need of assistance, it is often the people closest to them who step forward to provide the majority of the necessary care. Although this experience is often rewarding, the role of caregiver can also be physically, emotionally and financially taxing. The Caregiver Support Program may be able to help make a caregiver’s experience easier by providing financial reimbursements, hired help, benefits counseling, and caregiver education.

The Caregiver Support Program provides monthly reimbursements of up to $300 as well as a one-time reimbursement of up to $2,000 to pay for equipment or home modifications not covered by insurance. Eligible caregivers do not have to live in the same household or be related to the care recipient, but they must provide or direct daily hands-on care for the recipient. In order to be eligible, the care recipient must be assessed as being functionally dependent, requiring sufficient assistance with at least one daily living activity.

Income restrictions apply. A care manager will conduct a financial screening, and reimbursements will be based on a sliding scale that considers the income of the entire household.

To see if you qualify for the Caregiver Support Program, contact Blair Senior Services, Inc. at (814) 946-1235. One of our friendly care managers will speak with you and make arrangements to visit your home for the evaluation.

Caregiver Support Program: Grandparenting Program
For grandparents and other older adults called to care for a related minor, Blair Senior Services, Inc. provides supportive care management services and financial reimbursement to caregivers aged 55 or older who are the custodial caregivers of one or more related children under age 18.

Reimbursement for In Home Services to Promote Independence

Consumer Reimbursement
Blair Senior Services, Inc.’s Consumer Reimbursement program provides reimbursement to consumers who wish to purchase their own in-home care services as part of an approved plan of care. Blair Senior Services, Inc. recognizes that independence and self-reliance are important and valuable virtues, especially for older adults. Through the Consumer Reimbursement program, consumers have more control in directing their own care while still receiving the financial assistance that they require to maintain their health and well being. Care Managers work with consumers to determine the specifications of the care plan, approve reimbursement requests, and document services provided.

Immediate Emergency Assistance
and Intervention for Health and Safety Risks

Emergent Services
Emergent Services are available to address an immediate need for assistance and intervention due to a critical event that poses an imminent health and safety risk that cannot be addressed by existing community resources.

Emergency Alert Bracelets, Incontinence Supplies
& Nutritional Support

Personal Emergency Response System (PERS)
With the Personal Emergency Response System (PERS), a consumer can activate a button on a necklace or bracelet to call for help after a fall or during a medical emergency. Consumers may obtain the PERS under an approved plan of care if they are assessed to be at high risk and are able to use the PERS cognitively and functionally.

Medical Equipment and Supplies
Through our Medical Equipment and Supplies program, Blair Senior Services, Inc. provides assistance in purchasing incontinence supplies and nutritional supplements for eligible individuals.

Home Delivered Meals

Through our Home Delivered Meals program, Blair Senior Services, Inc. provides nutritious home delivered meals to Blair County residents age 60 or older who are unable to prepare meals for themselves.  A pack of five frozen meals is delivered once per week to consumers.  Additional meals are offered to the Home Delivered Meals consumers to be used during weather-related emergencies to ensure nutritional needs are met.  All meals are prepared in the Blair Senior Services’ Production Kitchen following nutritional and food safety guidelines.

Each meal is guaranteed to provide one-third of the consumer’s daily nutrition requirements, as determined by the US Department of Health and Human Services. The meals are certified by a Licensed Dietitian and the Pennsylvania Department of Aging to ensure nutritional value. The Home Delivered Meals program is financially supported in part by the United Way of Blair County.

Seniors need adequate nutrition to safeguard their health, preserve their mental acuity, resist illness and disease, maintain their energy levels and manage chronic health problems. Our home delivered meals program ensures that consumers have access to adequate nutrition even when they lack adequate family support, mobility and resources. In addition to providing homebound seniors a regular nutritious meal, sending volunteers to consumers’ homes means that our volunteers can check on the consumer’s health and well being, and offer a warm smile.

To be eligible for Home Delivered Meals, a consumer must be age 60 or older, and we must assess that the consumer is homebound and unable to prepare food for themselves. If you are interested in receiving meals for yourself or a loved one, please contact the Intake Office at Blair Senior Services, Inc. at 946-1235.

HDM Brochure

As our older population continues to increase in Blair County, the need for nourishing home delivered meals grows as well. Can you help us out by volunteering? If so, visit our volunteer page for more information on how to get involved!

OPTIONS

The Options Program offers quality in-home services including care, support, and essential services all within the comfort of their own home.

For individuals needing help with personal care needs, many agency providers are available from which to choose. If preferred, the consumer-directed Consumer Reimbursement program is available to allow more flexibility with personal care provider choices and schedules.  If incontinence hygiene products are needed, the Medical Equipment and Supplies service (ME&S) may assist with the purchase of these items

Home Delivered Meals can provide delivery of nutritious and convenient meals for individuals finding it difficult to prepare healthy meals.  For those needing additional nutritional support, the ME&S service also offers assistance with the purchase of nutritional supplements.

Individuals who live alone may find reassurance with a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) to summon assistance in the event of a fall, illness, or other emergency. The Adult Daily Living Program provides supervision and support to those who need assistance throughout the day.  Caregivers can also find support, assistance, and reimbursement of caregiving expenses through the Caregiver Support Program.    

To learn more about the Options Program and what it has to offer, please call 800-245-3282 or 814-946-1235 today.

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05/20/2021

​Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Aging today announced that older adults who will soon be turning 65 and are not yet enrolled in Medicare can attend a free virtual event to learn about their healthcare coverage options when enrolling for Medicare.

 

The "Welcome to Medicare" event on June 23, open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., will feature national presentations from the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs on Medicare eligibility, enrollment and coverage options. Representatives will be available to answer questions and assist older adults with information to enable them to make choices on Medicare coverage that best meets their needs and lowers their costs.

 

In Pennsylvania, this program is known as APPRISE. Throughout the national presentation, staff from APPRISE will host an exhibit for Pennsylvania and will respond to Medicare questions and provide information about the program. The Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly (CARIE) – Pennsylvania's Senior Medicare Patrol – also will join APPRISE to discuss Medicare fraud prevention.

 

"We encourage anyone who is turning 65 soon to join our Virtual Welcome to Medicare Fair. Pennsylvania's Medicare Counseling Program is here to help older adults learn about signing up and navigating the complexities of Medicare, avoiding late enrollment penalties, and preventing fraud," said Susan Neff, APPRISE director. "We also invite those who attend to visit the Pennsylvania-specific virtual exhibit at any time during the event. The APPRISE and CARIE staff look forward to chatting with seniors about their Medicare enrollment concerns."

 

Older adults can register for this event here

 

The APPRISE Program has nearly 800 trained counselors in the commonwealth who provide free, confidential, objective, and easy-to-understand information about original Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans, prescription drug plans, and Medicare Supplement plans, and allows Medicare beneficiaries to compare plans and determine what best meets their needs and save them money.

To learn more about the APPRISE Program or becoming a volunteer, click here or call the APPRISE Helpline at 1-800-783-7067 .

MEDIA CONTACT: Jack Eilber, agingcomms@pa.gov

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Department Of Aging: June 23 Medicare Event Welcomes Future Beneficiaries With Information On Eligibility, Coverage Options