Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services

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Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services

• Personal Assistance Services
• (PAS)

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What is Personal Assistance?

• Hands on assistance with non-medical activities
  of daily living (ADLs) that an individual would
  typically perform if they did not have a severe
  physically disability bathing, dressing,
  transferring, toileting, eating.
• Help with independent activities of daily living
  (IADLs) meal preparation, light housekeeping,
  shopping, laundry, running errands, and seasonal
  chores.
• Services designed to increase an individual's
  independence and community access.

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History of PAS Program

• In 1989 a 2-year demonstration grant was awarded
  to the Department of Rehabilitative Services by
  the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities.
  
• The grant program was a collaborative effort
  between the Department of Rehabilitative Services
  (DRS) and Handicaps Unlimited of Virginia (HUVA).
  The Centers for Independent Living were paid for
  performing in-home screening assessments,
  consumer orientation, and developing a personal
  assistant registry.
• At the end of the grant, DRS PAS was able to
  demonstrate that the program provided a
  critically needed service to individuals with
  severe physical disabilities. PAS Services were
  more economical than either institutional
  services or home health care services. The
  Program also supported self-determination and
  community inclusion.
• PAS Services were designed to be
  Consumer-Directed.

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Consumer Direction

• Consumer Direction is a philosophy that came
  out of the independent living movement. The
  purpose is to increase self-determination of
  persons with disabilities. With Consumer
  Direction, a consumer
• Manages an Individualized Program designed to
  address personal needs.
• Supervises and directs his/her own care
• Is the Employer of personal assistant (s). This
  includes recruiting, hiring, training, and
  scheduling personal assistants

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Personal Assistance Services

• Personal Assistance Services support consumers
  with severe physical disabilities with functional
  limitations in activities of daily living, as
  well as, independent activities of daily living.
• PAS is consumer-directed only. This is due to
  the original intent of the startup grant at
  inception.
• Consumers must be ineligible for comparable
  benefits.
• Funding is limited and may result in an applicant
  being placed on a waiting list.
• Co-payments are assessed on a sliding scale.
  There is a limit on financial eligibility annual
  income, as well as, household assets cannot
  exceed 50,000 (including liquid assets, IRAs,
  other retirement programs, bank accounts, and
  cash on hand.
• State General Funds provide for the DRS PAS
  Program- 2.6 million. The last increase in
  funding was in 2001.

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Who We Serve
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Providing Services

• The average cost to provide PAS services to a
  consumer for one year is 19,500.
• The average number of hours provided per week is
  37.5.
• 36 consumers make a co-payment based on income,
  and resources.
• 48 consumers are able to work part-time or full
  time because of the PAS Program.
• 177 consumers were served by DRS PAS for FY 2006.
  

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Issues Facing DRS PAS

• The Department of Medical Assistance Services
  (DMAS) provides rate increases to personal
  assistants from time to time. This is for
  consumers enrolled in Medicaid Waiver EDCD/PAS
  Services. The DRS PAS Program raises its rates
  when DMAS does in order to avoid personal
  assistant turnover for consumers enrolled in the
  DRS PAS Program
• DRS PAS funding has been level for 5 years.
• The number of applicants needing DRS PAS has
  continued to increase as the number of persons
  with severe disabilities increases.

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Issues- continued

• The DRS PAS Waiting List will continue to grow by
  60 persons per year.
• As disabled persons age, their support needs
  often increase. This means that many of the
  existing consumers of DRS PAS Services will need
  more hours in the future.
• The DRS PAS Program needs to be able to increase
  its funding level yearly taking into account
  rate increases for personal assistants,
  additional persons needing PAS Services, and
  increasing needs of persons with disabilities as
  they age.

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In Conclusion

• The DRS PAS Program uses a nationally validated
  model (Consumer Directed) to provide payment to
  personal assistants working for consumers with
  physical disabilities.
• The DRS PAS Program enables persons with
  disabilities to live with dignity,
  self-direction, and independence.
• The DRS PAS Program is cost-effective and
  prevents nursing home placement of disabled
  persons who wish to live on their own.
• The DRS PAS Program makes it possible for persons
  with physical disabilities to pursue higher
  education, to work, and to pay taxes. Disabled
  persons who work pay a reasonable co-pay toward
  the cost of personal assistance provided through
  the DRS PAS Program.
• The DRS PAS Program provides in-home support
  services at a much lower cost than home health
  care or nursing home care.