What are Home and Community Based Services?
Home and community based services prevent or delay frail seniors and persons with disabilities from being admitted to nursing homes. Services include such assistance as personal care aides, adult day services, transportation, home-delivered meals, congregate meals, nutrition education, respite care and other services. What does it cost us? The range of aging services—home-delivered meals, personal care, adult day services, etc.—that help seniors remain in their home cost an average of $822 dollars per individual per year. In contrast, persons in Medicaid-paid nursing home beds cost taxpayers anywhere from $25,000 to $37,000 per year. Re-iInvesting this $2.9 million today can potentially save the state expenditures of more than $30 million in delayed or prevented nursing home admissions over the next few years. Other states have already realized the wisdom of this type of investment and have moved more of their dollars into home and community-based services. Who is served? More than 17,
