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New Jersey Personal Preference Program (PPP)
Overview of the NJ Personal Preference Program
NJ’s PPP provides financial assistance to elderly and disabled, Medicaid-qualified residents to help them live independently and manage their activities of daily living. The program is based on the Cash and Counseling model in which participants are allocated the funds that would otherwise be spent on services for them and provided with the flexibility to determine their care providers. Program participants can hire friends or family members, so relatives can be paid to be caregivers provided they are at least 18 years old.
This program and the program category are referred to by many different names. To avoid confusion, the reader should be aware the Personal Preference Program might also be referred to as Personal Care Assistance (PCA) services. Cash and Counseling programs, in general, are also known as consumer direction, self-direction and participant direction.
Qualifications for the NJ Personal Preference Program
To be eligible for PPP, NJ residents must be elderly or disabled and have a demonstrated need for assistance with their activities of daily living and be eligible to receive Medicaid.
Qualifying for Medicaid is a complicated process involving a review of a family’s income, assets and asset transfers as far back as 5 years. Rules change frequently and there are many exceptions, but typically monthly income cannot exceed $2,000 and “countable asset” limits, excluding the car and home, range from $2,000 to $8,000.
Not qualifying for Medicaid can be devastating to the comfort of an individual, their family’s finances and even their health. For these reasons, Medicaid planners exist to ensure families have the best chance of acceptance into the program. With care costing $1000’s / month, there is a strong incentive to use a Medicaid Planner. Find assistance applying for Medicaid.
Qualifying for Medicaid is a complicated process involving a review of a family’s income, assets and asset transfers as far back as 5 years. Rules change frequently and there are many exceptions, but typically monthly income cannot exceed $2,000 and “countable asset” limits, excluding the car and home, range from $2,000 to $8,000.
Not qualifying for Medicaid can be devastating to the comfort of an individual, their family’s finances and even their health. For these reasons, Medicaid planners exist to ensure families have the best chance of acceptance into the program. With care costing $1000’s / month, there is a strong incentive to use a Medicaid Planner. Find assistance applying for Medicaid.
Benefits / Services Covered by the NJ Personal Preference Program
Personal Preference Program participants have a great deal of flexibility on how to spend the funds allocated to them for their care. Generally speaking, there are three categories of expenses which are considered eligible.
1) Personal Assistance Services – a hired individual that assists the program participant to manage their activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living such as bathing, grooming, meal preparation, eating, mobility, housekeeping, shopping and laundry.
2) Assistive Technology – appliances, devices and controls that increase the individual’s ability to live independently such as remote controls, specially designed cooking equipment and motion-sensitive lighting.
3) Home Modifications – changes to one’s home to accommodate for physical challenges such as stairglides, ramps and doorway alterations to accommodate for wheelchairs.
1) Personal Assistance Services – a hired individual that assists the program participant to manage their activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living such as bathing, grooming, meal preparation, eating, mobility, housekeeping, shopping and laundry.
2) Assistive Technology – appliances, devices and controls that increase the individual’s ability to live independently such as remote controls, specially designed cooking equipment and motion-sensitive lighting.
3) Home Modifications – changes to one’s home to accommodate for physical challenges such as stairglides, ramps and doorway alterations to accommodate for wheelchairs.
How to Apply for the NJ Personal Preference Program
The program is managed by the New Jersey Division of Disability Services. One can learn more about the program and apply on their website or by calling their toll-free number at 1-888-285-3036.
Use our Eldercare Financial Resource Locator Tool to find other public and private programs that can help pay for or reduce the costs of long term care for the elderly.
