Personal Care Services

What Is Personal Care?

Personal Care is a Nebraska Medicaid waiver service that provides assistance with activities of daily living, certain health-related tasks, and other approved activities that a person may have difficulty completing independently because of a disability or health condition.

Services may include hands-on assistance or reminders and guidance to help individuals complete tasks themselves. Depending on individual needs, care may be provided regularly or at specific times when assistance is needed.

The purpose of Personal Care is to help participants remain as independent as possible while receiving the support they need in familiar home and community settings.

Who May Qualify for Personal Care?

Personal Care is generally available to eligible adults age 18 and older who participate in Nebraska’s Aged & Disabled Waiver and have an assessed need for assistance with everyday activities.

In certain circumstances, participants ages 16 and 17 transitioning to adult services may also qualify.

Eligibility and service authorization are determined through Nebraska DHHS and the participant’s Service Coordinator. The participant’s assessed needs and person-centered plan determine which services may be provided.

What Types of Assistance May Be Covered?

Personal Care services are individualized to the participant’s needs. Depending on the approved service authorization, assistance may include:

• Bathing, showering, and personal hygiene
• Dressing, grooming, and oral care
• Toileting and continence-related assistance
• Eating and feeding assistance
• Walking, mobility, and transfers
• Positioning and other approved physical assistance
• Reminders, cueing, and assistance with daily routines
• Approved health-related tasks within the caregiver’s qualifications
• Certain instrumental activities of daily living, when authorized

These examples do not represent an automatic list of covered services. Each task must be consistent with the participant’s assessed needs, person-centered plan, and approved authorization.

Care That Respects Your Independence

We believe personal care should be centered around the individual receiving services. Our approach emphasizes dignity, respect, personal choice, and support for independence.

Whether someone needs hands-on help completing a daily task or gentle reminders to complete an activity independently, the goal is to provide the appropriate level of assistance without taking away opportunities for independence.

Care is guided by the participant’s individual needs, preferences, and authorized services.

Personal Care Through Nebraska Medicaid

High Hopes at Home provides Personal Care services through Nebraska’s Aged & Disabled (AD) Waiver.

The AD Waiver helps eligible individuals who are aged or have disabilities receive services in their homes and communities as an alternative to institutional care.

A participant’s Service Coordinator works with the participant to determine appropriate services, establish the person-centered plan, and coordinate service authorization.

High Hopes provides services within the scope of the approved authorization and applicable Medicaid requirements.

Learn About the AD Waiver

How High Hopes Can Help

Navigating care services can feel overwhelming. High Hopes at Home works with participants, families, caregivers, and Service Coordinators to help make the process easier.

As an agency provider, High Hopes assists with:

• Caregiver employment and onboarding
• Required background and exclusion screenings
• Caregiver training and employment requirements
• Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) and service documentation
• Payroll and Medicaid billing
• Communication with participants, families, and Service Coordinators
• Ongoing caregiver guidance and administrative support

Our goal is to support reliable, person-centered care while helping caregivers understand and meet the requirements of the program.

Choosing the Right Caregiver

We understand that choosing someone to provide personal care is an important decision. At High Hopes at Home, we believe individuals and families should have a voice in selecting a caregiver who understands their needs, preferences, and routines.

Many of the individuals we serve already have someone they know and trust who is interested in becoming their caregiver. This may be a family member, friend, or another individual who meets applicable program and employment requirements.

If you do not already have a caregiver identified, High Hopes can also assist with recruiting qualified individuals who may be a good fit for your needs.

All caregivers must meet applicable qualifications and complete High Hopes’ employment and onboarding requirements before providing authorized services. Caregiver availability and placement are not guaranteed.

How Is Personal Care Different From LRI Personal Care?

Although both services help eligible participants with daily care needs, Personal Care and LRI Personal Care are separate services under Nebraska’s AD Waiver.

• Personal Care: Provides authorized assistance through a qualified caregiver who meets applicable provider requirements.
• LRI Personal Care: Allows certain legally responsible individuals, such as parents of minor children or spouses, to provide qualifying extraordinary care under specific waiver requirements.

The participant’s Service Coordinator can help determine which service is appropriate based on the participant’s needs and the proposed caregiver’s relationship to the participant.

Learn About LRI Personal Care

Understanding Personal Care Responsibilities

Personal Care services must be provided in accordance with the participant’s approved service authorization and applicable Medicaid requirements.

Caregivers are responsible for accurately documenting the services they provide, following Electronic Visit Verification requirements, and performing only tasks that are authorized and appropriate to their qualifications.

Services must also comply with applicable scheduling, service overlap, and documentation requirements.

High Hopes provides caregivers with guidance regarding these responsibilities during onboarding and throughout employment.

How to Get Started

1. Confirm AD Waiver Eligibility.
   The person receiving care must qualify for Nebraska’s Aged & Disabled Waiver.
2. Discuss Personal Care With Your Service Coordinator.
   Your Service Coordinator will review your assessed needs and determine whether Personal Care is an appropriate service.
3. Receive Approval for Personal Care.
   The approved person-centered plan and service authorization establish the assistance and hours available to the participant.
4. Contact High Hopes at Home.
   Let us know you are interested in receiving Personal Care services through our agency. We can discuss your needs, caregiver options, and next steps.
5. Identify Your Caregiver.
   If you already have someone you would like to provide your care, High Hopes can guide that individual through our employment application and onboarding process. If you need help finding a caregiver, we can discuss recruitment options and potential availability.
6. Coordinate Provider Authorization.
   Let your Service Coordinator know you would like to use High Hopes Child Care as your Personal Care provider. High Hopes will coordinate any required provider documentation and onboarding.
7. Begin Authorized Services.
   Once the required provider authorization, caregiver qualifications, and other arrangements are complete, approved Personal Care services may begin.

Interested in Becoming a Personal Caregiver?

High Hopes at Home welcomes applications from individuals interested in helping others live safely and independently in their homes and communities.

Whether you are interested in supporting someone you already know or exploring opportunities to provide personal care, we invite you to complete our employment application.

Apply Now