Maryland Senior Care Program: Eligibility and Benefits

Program Description

Seniors often require assistance with simple daily tasks, such as cooking, housekeeping, grooming, and driving to appointments. The Maryland Senior Care Services Program assists residents at risk for nursing home placement in order to address their unmet needs and to allow them to remain living at home or in a caregiver’s home. The program offers a variety of services and supports, such as personal care, delivered meals, and transportation assistance, all of which depends on the needs of the individual.

The program is intended for individuals that have low incomes and limited assets, but still too much money to qualify for Medicaid. Due to state budget cutbacks in fiscal year 2015/16, some services previously available under the Senior Care Program may no longer be offered. And the availability of services may differ by county. However, case management, or care coordination, continues to be a major focus of the program. This can significantly reduce the workload that caring for an aging relative puts on family members.

Eligibility Guidelines

Final eligibility for the Senior Care Program is determined at the county level. General eligibility requirements include:

• Must be at least 65 years of age.
• Must be at risk for nursing home placement or moderately disabled. Typically participants require assistance with 1-3 activities of daily living.
• Must be a Maryland resident.
• As of July 2019, monthly income cannot exceed $3,002 ($36,021 / year) for an individual and $3,925 ($47,104 / year) if married (60% of the state’s median income). Note that the monthly income limit will increase on October 1, 2020. At this time, the monthly income limit for an individual will be $3,121 ($37,454 / year) and $4,081.50 ($48,978 / year) for a couple.
• Value of a single applicant’s assets cannot exceed $11,000 if they are single or $14,000 as a married couple.

Benefits and Services

The Senior Care Program provides a variety of services and supports. The exact services are determined on a case-by-case basis and can include any of the following:

• Adult Day Care
• Care Coordination
• Chore Services
• Home Delivered Meals
• Medical / Nutritional Supplies
• Medications
• Personal Care, such as assistance with activities of daily living, like mobility, dressing, transferring, eating, etc.
• Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS)
• Respite Care
• Transportation Assistance
• Home Modifications, such as grab bars and wheelchair ramps

How to Apply / Learn More

One can apply for the Senior Care Program by contacting their local Maryland Access Point.  Alternatively, one can begin the eligibility assessment process by calling the Maryland Department of Aging toll-free 1-800-243-3425.

One can also learn more about the program on Maryland’s Department of Aging (MDoA) website. Please make note, at the time of this writing, a waitlist for specific services did exist. However, this varies based on jurisdiction.