Navigating support systems as the parent of a disabled child can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to securing the services your kiddo needs. If you’re living in Idaho, Personal Care Service (PCS) hours may be an essential resource for your family.
In this guide,I’ll break down the application process, eligibility requirements, and steps to secure PCS hours so you can access the support your family deserves.
Please note, this article only details the steps of applying for PCS hours for your depedant child under the age of 18. The process is similar if you’re applying for your spouse or adult child, but not the same. You can find more details and support inside the Idaho Keep Parents & Spouses As Paid Caregivers For Those With Disabilities Facebook group, but you may find this article helpful for your situation as well!
What are Personal Care Service (PCS) Hours in Idaho?
PCS hours in Idaho provide essential in-home care services for individuals who need help with daily living activities, such as bathing, dressing, light housework, laundry, meal prep/eating, or mobility assistance. These services help individuals with disabilities, including autistic children.
The goal is to improve their quality of life while providing relief for caregivers. PCS hours help create a more manageable home environment by offering professional care when it's most needed.
But, there aren’t enough workers to help all the families who need support!
That’s why a change was enacted a few years ago to allow family members to act as paid caregivers for their disabled child or spouse. This program has been a huge support to many Idaho families, and it could help your family too.
Who qualifies for PCS hours in Idaho?
To qualify for PCS hours in Idaho, a comprehensive evaluation is required. Eligibility is based on medical needs and the level of daily assistance your child requires.
If your child qualifies for the Katie Beckett waiver or has services covered by the Developmental Disabilities program, chances are good they will get approved for some hours under the PCS program. The program takes into account the child’s chronological age. Parents of young children may find they are approved for fewer hours than older children.
Be prepared to provide detailed information about your child’s specific care needs and how those needs impact your family’s daily life. As always, answer the nurse reviewer’s questions honestly, and respond with the mindset that your child is completely alone, and having the worst day ever. Your assessment is not the time to be playing up your child’s strengths!
And don’t take the mindset that your child isn’t “disabled enough” to benefit from the program or that they wouldn’t qualify. My kids are both Level 1 Autistic and were each approved for 25 hours a week.
How to apply for PCS hours in Idaho?
To make this easy on us both, I’m going to keep this short, sweet, and to the point! Please be advised that this process can change at any time - in fact, I’ve had to update this article twice in the week since I started writing it.
Please read these steps in full before you begin the process, especially as it pertains to choosing the agency you choose to work with!
- Join Idaho Keep Parents & Spouses As Paid Caregivers For Those With Disabilities. It’s a free Facebook group that can help answer any questions you may have and help you access the program and advocate for its renewal. Click here to join!
- Contact your local regional office of the Bureau of Long-Term Care via phone or email.
- Determine which Region you are in by looking at Pages 5 and 6 of The Idaho Medicaid Providers Directory.
- The email addresses for each office can be found here (scroll down until you get to the “Contact Us” section).
- Additionally, you can find the phone numbers for each office on Page 10 of The Idaho Medicaid Providers Directory.
- Let them know you want to apply for PCS hours for your child. If you have more than one child, let the person know you’re requesting multiple appointments/assessments.
- Ask about how long you can expect to wait for the call with a nurse reviewer. We waited about a month but the wait times are currently much longer.
- In the meantime, look around your Region to discover which home health agency you’d like to work with/for. It pays to call around! Wages range from $10/hour up to $16.50. Idaho Keep Parents & Spouses As Paid Caregivers For Those With Disabilities is a great resrouce to help you find an agency that will pay you well and work for your family’s unique situation.
- If it’s helpful, I live in Region 4 and chose A Caring Hand Home Health in Boise. They were wonderful to work with on my orientation process. I created a downloadable Google Sheet that can help you keep track of the specific information you need to compare different agencies, click here to make a copy. Click the link and it will prompt you to make your own copy of the form to fill out on your computer. You may find this form helpful to track information about the companies you contact.
- When the nurse reviewer calls, schedule the assessment with them. Use this Google Doc to help you prepare for the call…it has all the information the reviewer will ask you about. Just like above, you don’t have to do this, but it might make preparing for your call easier.
- Contact the home health agency you’d like to work with/for. Do this once your call is scheduled with the nurse reviewer so the home health agency can start your onboarding process.
- When you have your call with the nurse reviewer, let them know the name of the agency you’ve decided on. This will help speed up the process so they can get the correct information and forms to the right agency. After our call with the nurse reviewer, we had a determination the next day! Your speed may vary, but I was surprised at how quickly the process moved.
- Complete the Family Personal Care Services (FPCS) Parent/Spouse Request Form. Basically, this is why we have the program! It’s a simple form that says the agency you selected as well as another agency in your region lacks the staff to fully service the hours your family was approved for. Some agencies have agreements with partner agencies to make this step easier for you. Sign and send the form back to the agency you will be working with ASAP…you can’t start working for your child until this form is completed and processed by the Department of Health and Welfare!
- Complete any necessary onboarding paperwork, training, and testing with the agency you chose. Most likely, you will have to go in person for orientation. There will probably be a drug test involved. The agency should pay for your background check/fingerprinting…yes, you need to do that even if you’re working with your own kids in your own house! The only exception is if you have proof of a clean background check within the last 3 years. You can find more information on the background check process here. My agency gave me 21 days to complete my background check, so plan that into your schedule. This was the hardest part for me since I took a few days “off” from my SAHM duties to complete the background check process…it was hard on all of us, but well worth it!
Depending on your agency's policies, you should be able to start immediately after your orientation is complete and your Family Personal Care Services (FPCS) Parent/Spouse Request Form is filed.
It may take a few days for Health and Welfare to process your FPCS Form. Don’t be afraid to ask your contact at your agency to resend it or check on it! It took almost a week for one of my kiddo’s forms to be approved, and four business days for the other kiddo.
Next Steps for the PCS Funding in Idaho
As it currently stands, the waiver that funds this program expires March 31, 2025. So what can you do?!
Reach out to your local representatives, both in Idaho and at the National Level.
Write them a letter, give them a call, or email their office to let them know how this program benefits you and your family. Then, get involved with the group Idaho Keep Parents & Spouses As Paid Caregivers For Those With Disabilities to stay up to date with current news and requests for support as the workgroup team strives to make this program permanent.
Conclusion
Securing PCS hours in Idaho can significantly relieve some of the pressure you feel as a parent and caregiver to a disabled child. By understanding what PCS hours are, who qualifies, and how to navigate the application process, you’ll be better equipped to access the vital services your family needs.
Don’t hesitate to reach out for support during the application process—help is available, and you deserve it!
While I’d love to be your contact person about the PCS process, I encourage you to check in with the dedicated Facebook group to ask any questions you may have. Not only are you likely to get an answer in the group quickly, it’s just a great way to build up your community support resources.
And, if you use the search button, you’ll probably find what you’re looking for without having to wait for a reply!
Wishing you all the best as you navigate the challenges you face being a caregiver to your loved one.
And remember: don’t forget to take care of yourself as you care for them.
Looking for more resources to support your family?
Check out this list of programs and resources for Idaho families.
Want self-care support as you navigate life and parenting with your neurospicy kiddo?
Meet your self-care coach!
