Does Rhode Island Pay For In-Home Care?

Date Updated: July 26, 2024

Written by:

Rachel Lustbader

Rachel Lustbader is a writer and editor with a background in healthcare and technology. Her work has been published on websites including HealthCare.com, BiteSizeBio.com, BetterHelp.com, Caring.com, and PayingforSeniorCare.com. She studied health science and public health at Boston University.

Both of Rachel’s grandmothers had very positive experiences in senior living communities, and Rachel saw firsthand the impact that kind, committed caregivers and community managers can have on seniors’ and their family members’ lives. With her work at Caring, Rachel hopes to help other families find communities, caregivers, and at-home products that benefit elderly loved ones and make life less stressful for family caregivers

Rhode Island pays for in-home care through its Long-Term Services and Supports program. This program is part of the state’s Medicaid system. The state has a Global Consumer Choice Compact Waiver (Global Waiver) that covers all individual waivers, allowing it more freedom to pay for in-home care and other services to best meet the needs of its citizens. The RIte@Home program is an alternative route that pays for in-home care in Rhode Island in a shared-home setting.

Long-Term Services and Supports Program

Rhode Island’s LTSS program provides care services for people with disabilities and certain chronic conditions. Enrollees can receive services in their own homes or in a residential setting, and support may be long- or short-term. A person may be eligible for the LTSS in Rhode Island if they qualify for Medicaid, have assets worth $4,000 or less and require a high level of care. However, they can’t receive in-home care services if they need a nursing home level of care.

An individual may be entitled to funded services at home and in specific community settings if they qualify. Examples of covered services may include:

Homemaker support, such as cleaning or laundry services
Case management
Respite for caregivers
Personal Emergency Response System
Meal deliveries
Medical equipment
Limited home modifications

RIte@Home

RIte@Home is an alternative program that helps Medicaid-eligible older adults and people with disabilities live in a home-based setting instead of a residential home. It works by matching enrollees with a suitable caregiver via the RIte@Home agency, although many enrollees choose a family member or friend as their caregiver. The caregiver and enrollee can move in together in either party’s home.

The caregiver receives training to help them learn how to help the enrollee with acts of daily living and homemaking, such as personal care, meal preparation and cleaning. Meanwhile, the state pays the caregiver a stipend for providing full-time care and provides respite services. The state may also cover other necessary services, such as nursing care.