Do you have a loved one who needs help with daily tasks to maintain independence at home? It can be challenging to balance your own responsibilities while also caring for them. But don't worry—North Carolina's In-Home Aide Services program can help. These services provide the support your loved one needs to stay home, where they're most comfortable. With In-Home Aide Services, you can know your loved one is in good hands.
The In-Home Aide Services program provides trained aides to come to the homes of aging or disabled individuals and assist family caregivers with personal care and home management tasks. The aides may help your care recipient with dressing, feeding, bathing, or mobility. The goal is to enable these individuals to remain in their homes and avoid placement in a nursing home or institution.
Aging at home has become the wish of so many aging Americans. These services strive to help your loved one age safely in the comfort of their house and community. So often, full-time care facilities like nursing homes or assisted living harms the mental health of once vibrant individuals. Isolation and strange surroundings can contribute to worsened conditions.
As a North Carolina family caregiver, you can keep your care recipient where they want to be - at home with their family.
The primary goals are to allow frail elderly and disabled persons to maintain their independence and quality of life by living safely at home. The program aims to prevent or delay more costly nursing home admissions by providing in-home aide services.
The program provides trained in-home aides to assist with a wide range of personal care and home management tasks, catered to each individual's specific needs based on an assessment. Most participants receive between 5-20 hours of aide assistance per week. Services can include:
Family members, including spouses and adult children, can be paid in-home aides if they meet requirements.
Are you eligible for North Carolina In-Home Aide services? Only some family caregivers are eligible for support and services. To qualify for this program, key requirements must be met.
Participants must be residents of North Carolina.
To be eligible for North Carolina In-Home Aide Services, individuals must meet specific health and disability requirements. They need assistance with one or more Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), fundamental tasks essential for independent living. These ADLs include:
The severity of assistance needed also impacts eligibility. Individuals requiring limited hands-on help with at least three ADLs, extensive assistance with one ADL and limited support with another, or complete dependence on assistance with one ADL and limited help with another typically qualify.
Additionally, the program is designed to support individuals who can remain safely at home. This means their residence must be a private dwelling they own or rent, excluding facilities like group homes or assisted living centers.
While there are no income or asset limits to qualify for North Carolina In-Home Aide Services, some participants may need to contribute financially based on their income. This means that the program is available to everyone regardless of wealth, but higher earners may be expected to share the cost of care.
This sliding scale approach helps ensure affordability and program sustainability while supporting North Carolina residents who need it most.
For this program, relatives of the care recipient (including spouses and adult children) are permitted to work as paid in-home aides as long as they are at least 18 years old and have given up other employment to be a caregiver.
To begin the application process:
Required documentation may include proof of identity, age, residence, physician records detailing the need for care, income information if applicable, and emergency contact details.
All documents are submitted directly to the Division of Aging and Adult Services office handling your case.
As a family caregiver, reliable in-home assistance can make a tremendous difference in your ability to keep caring for a loved one. The North Carolina In-Home Aide Services program recognizes this need and aims to support seniors and their caregivers through affordable personal care and home management services. If you require this type of help, see if you qualify. Your family deserves the help and support it needs.
