Personal Care

Personal Care services provide essential tasks necessary to enable individuals who are Medicaid eligible to remain living in the community. These services are provided if there is a medical-related condition and services are provided in the client’s residence and workplace. 

Covered Services

Services may include:

  • assistance with personal hygiene
  • essential shopping
  • laundry
  • light housekeeping
  • light meal preparation

Certain household tasks (Homemaker Program ARSD 67:40:07:02) are also allowed when the client is unable to perform these tasks due to a medical-related condition. These tasks are limited to the client only. No other household members are eligible to receive services. Services are not to be provided by a homemaker if the individual is able to safely perform these functions or if other members of the household are capable of completing these tasks.

Non-Covered Services

Non-covered services include:

  • Washing outside windows
  • Moving large furniture
  • Shoveling snow
  • Caring for a garden or yard
  • Cleaning up before or after company
  • Washing walls
  • Caring for pets or house plants
  • Painting
  • Shampooing carpets
  • Assisting with a bladder or bowel program
  • Skilled nursing services
  • Providing transportation, unless there is an emergency
  • Other tasks not necessary to maintain a client in their home

An individual who qualifies for services will receive services as approved in the care plan. These services are provided 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Service Providers

The Division of Adult Services and Aging provides personal care services through contracts with local homemaker/home health agencies.

Other Funding Source

In addition to the Personal Care Program, Adult Services and Aging has another funding source with specific eligibility requirements which can assist in the cost of payment for similar services.