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- Okay, so the thing you want to apply for is called a "long term care plan." These are waiver programs that are connected to Medicaid.
- When I applied, I emailed my local ADRC to make an appointment. They came out to my house and we discussed my condition, what limitations I have and what things I need help with. They wanted to see a few things around the house - namely my bedroom and the bathroom - in case there was anything the ADRC specifically could help with (shower chairs, transfer bars etc). They also loaned me a handful of equipment like dressing aids etc.
- During the appointment, I was briefed on the different types of care plans. Basically there's three tiers: completely managed (for dementia patients etc), family care (you make some decisions, others are made for you), and IRIS (independently directed). I went with IRIS because I wanted to keep all my own doctors and make all my own decisions. You can, of course, go with whatever seems best to you.
- Then, within each plan type there are different companies you can choose from. They gave me a bunch of pamphlets and I did a little googling - honestly none of them seemed like particularly bad OR great choices, so I went with a company called TMG (The Management Group). They assigned me a case worker, who has walked me through the whole process of getting properly enrolled in IRIS and getting Gashi hired on as a caretaker.
- IRIS will give you a monthly budget with which to pay your employees, which has to cover tax as well (ie, I get $600/mo but I can only pay Gashi $500 because taxes have to come out of that amount). This amount is based on the level of care you're assessed to need. There's an additional hourly payment that your caretaker can receive for hands-on care, such as if you need help showering, transferring from sitting to standing etc. That wage does not come out of your budget, it's just extra.
- Just a note, there is yet another choice to make once you get accepted into IRIS (or whichever program you choose), which is the FEA - basically, the company that will do your payroll and taxes for you. After some research, I went with Premier FMS. Feel free to ask me about any of this at any point, btw.
- Okay! On to the links and stuff!
- https://irisadvocates4u.org/what-is-iris/adrc-contact-information/
- - This website is one of the IRIS program companies (but not the one I chose). However, it's got some good information there, and this particular page provides you with an email to the Milwaukee County Disability Resource Center.
- https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/DHHS/DSD
- - If you scroll down to the brochures section, you can take a look at "Adult Long-Term Care" or "Disability Resource Center" for info.
- https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/adrc/index.htm
- - This has a bit of info about LTC programs and such. If you scroll down to "long term care options counseling" you can find a bit of info on the different plans I mentioned!
- https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/DHHS/DSD/Disability-Resource-Center
- - This has a number of links to other related resources for folks with disabilities.
- Hopefully all of this helps! I applied in I think November of last year, so it's a longer process. Faster than disability though! And it means you have plenty of time to recover from big paperwork deadlines. If you need any help, you know where to find me, I am happy to answer any questions I can. And the DRC ought to be helpful as well - mine has been a lifesaver.
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