BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A new program is available in East Baton Rouge and surrounding parishes to help match people with community services so they can stay out of nursing homes.
The idea is to help people find the support they need before they deplete their savings, said Jay Bulot, director of the Governor’s Office on Elderly Affairs.
The program will serve the elderly and disabled over age 21, adults with Alzheimer’s or related dementia, and their caregivers.
The pilot program targets people living in East and West Baton Rouge, Ascension, East and West Feliciana, Iberville and Pointe Coupee parishes.
The federally funded pilot program called “Louisiana Answers … for Living at Home” is housed in the Capital Area Agency on Aging. Nearly $2 million in funding support is coming from the U.S. Administration on Aging.
Capital Area project coordinator Tracy Thompson said the initiative is designed to help individuals who have too many assets to qualify for services through Medicaid the government health insurance program for the poor.
“There is no program that would cater toward the population not Medicaid-eligible,” said Thompson. “Either people are affluent and pay for the services, or people are on Medicaid.”
“We help adults who do not qualify for Medicaid remain independent and find more options for their care,” she said.
“We find out their income and assets and see which programs they qualify for,” said Thompson.
If they don’t qualify for Medicaid, Thompson said they are referred to the “Community Living Program” which offers assistance with such things as in-home personal care services as well as home modifications.
About 20,000 adults with dementia and more than 66,000 older adults could be eligible to use the program in the Baton Rouge area, according to the Office of Elderly Affairs.
The Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs plans to expand the program into northwest Louisiana in January, said Bulot.
 
—-Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at [email protected]