Program Overview

The Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) is a Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver that was created by legislation that directed the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to develop and implement the project to test the efficacy of assisted living as a Medi-Cal benefit.

The Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) is administered by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and provides community homes to older citizens. The program has three components. Those are,

• The Nursing Facility Transition Care Coordination component helps the individual become a part of a community by facilitating them through their transition from hospital to nursing care.
• The Assisted Living Services  that are provided to residents of a licensed nursing home 
• Care Coordination Services include analyzing the needs of the participants and providing services accordingly. The program provides services related to monitoring, originating from managing the participants’ needs.

Program Objectives

The California Assisted Living Waiver program analyzes the situation of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities and comes up with different remedies to help ease their pain and get them out of challenging experiences they are suffering in their lives. The program helps older people with disabilities attain self-sufficiency by providing an extensive range of community-based healthcare services. The two main objectives of the California ALW are to,

• help eligible individuals to shift from their houses to community homes including Adult Residential Care Facility (ARF), and Residential Care Facility (RCF).
• Provide services to individuals and senior citizens with disabilities in the state of California that cater to their needs and help them live their lives comfortably in RCF, ARF, or public subsidized houses.

Program Services

The California Assisted Living Waiver provides various services to the eligible candidate:

• Providing self-sufficiency and independence to eligible applicants who require intensive support
• Help the individual become a part of a community by facilitating them through their transition from hospital to nursing care.
• Provide help with household tasks including cooking, washing, drying, and many more
• Help individuals with performing Activities of Daily Living
• Providing a healthy tree time meal that is nutritious and fulfills the daily food requirements of the individual
• Provide nursing services to the residents of the RCF, ARF, or public subsidized houses
• Provide services including recreation, entertainment, social, and transportation
• services

Eligibility Requirements

The eligibility for the California Assisted Living Waiver depends on many factors. Therefore, it is important to know about the program requirements before applying. The requirements of families for the program include,

• The applicant is a resident of the state of California
• The applicant is a permanent citizen of the U.S. or is  a legal alien
• The applicant is 21 years old or older
• The applicant is eligible for the Medi-Cale program
• The applicant has a medical condition that is life-threatening and falls under the eligibility condition of the program 
• The applicant requires living in nursing care and adult care
• The applicant is willing to live in a nursing home or an assisted living facility

How to Apply

 There are many ways to apply for the California Assisted Living Waiver including,

Apply online

You can apply for the California Assisted Living Waiver by going to the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) website.  You can also visit the US Department of Health and Human Services official website to learn more about the program.

Apply through the local district office

Applicants who are interested in the California Assisted Living Waiver program can visit the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) office in your locality to make a personal application. The applicant will be provided with an application form that they will have to complete and submit to apply for the program benefits. After finding a nearby office, you can visit it to get guidance regarding the program eligibility and application procedures. 

Once the form is filled out and you have attached all the required documents, you can then submit the application form which will be further processed by the office. The selected applicants will be notified through phone or email and will get notified about the next level.

Apply via phone call

Individuals interested in the Assisted Living Waiver program in the state of California can visit the DHCS office at Care Coordinator Agencies to find the contact information about the program

 You will be then connected to a customer service representative who will guide you about the program and its application procedure. The application form will be delivered to you either by mail or post. By calling the above numbers you can talk to highly qualified members of staff who can answer any queries you might have regarding the California Assisted Living Waiver program.

The applicants can also visit the official Marketplace of California to see if they qualify for the program. The Marketplace provides information about all the major topics including program details, goals, and eligibility criteria about the child care services available in various states of the United States of America.

For Further Information

If you want to learn more about the California Assisted Living Waiver program you can visit the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)  official website. Here you will find detailed information regarding the program in the state of California.