AccessCNY’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance (CDPA) program helps individuals take control of their personal care and home care needs. With the support of AccessCNY staff, CDPA participants screen, hire, train and supervise personal assistants (PAs) to help with important activities of daily living (ADL).
A major benefit to the CDPA program – sometimes also referred to as Consumer Directed Personal Services (CDPAS) or the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) – is that it allows people to truly personalize home care to fit their lifestyle. Participants can customize when their personal assistants work, as well as what tasks they perform. During the more than 25 years Agnes McCray has been enrolled in CDPA at AccessCNY, her PAs have assisted her in reaching a variety of goals- from being a loving mother to two young sons to being an unstoppable community activist. You can read more about Agnes’ story here.
Below we have included the answers to some common questions about the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance program. Please take a look and reach out with any questions. Our knowledgeable staff are here to help!
Jump To: FAQs for Participants | FAQs for Personal Assistants
FAQs for Participants:
Who can sign up for CDPA?
To sign up for Consumer Directed Personal Assistance you must:
- Be Medicaid eligible
- Be eligible for home-care services, personal care services or private nursing
- Require long-term assistance with daily living activities (including home and personal care)
- Direct your own services or have a designated representative who is willing and able to handle the responsibilities of the program
What tasks can a personal assistant help with?
Personal assistants can help with a variety of personal care, hygiene, and household tasks such as:
- Meal prep/feeding
- Bathing
- Toileting
- Dressing
- Cooking
- Shopping
- Cleaning
- Transportation
What are the benefits of CDPA over traditional home care?
CDPA provides many benefits over the traditional home care model. By giving people direct control over who comes into their home, the program helps avoid problems such as language barriers and high assistant turnover rate. It’s no wonder that CDPA participants report feeling more satisfied with their quality of care and their overall quality of life!
What does CDPA cost?
As long as you meet the criteria mentioned above, CDPA services are provided at no cost to yourself.
What is AccessCNY’s role in CDPA?
AccessCNY serves as the Fiscal Intermediary (FI) for people enrolled in our CDPA program. This means that agency staff handle all the human resources processes such as issuing paychecks and completing background checks.
Additionally, our staff provides training and support to both the personal assistants and the participants.
FAQs for Personal Assistants:
Who can be a personal assistant?
Almost anyone! Personal assistants can be an adult child, grandchild, friend or neighbor; anyone except:
- A participant’s legal spouse
- A participant’s designated representative
- The parent(s) of a participant under 21 years old
Do I need training in healthcare to be a personal assistant?
No! AccessCNY provides a thorough orientation and training which will provide all the information you need.
Can immigrants work as a personal assistant?
Yes, as long as all paperwork regarding immigration status is up to date.
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