How the CDPAP Program can change your life
You are overburdened, to put it mildly. You care for your own family. You have a job. You have a household, bills, medical care, and health of your own to deal with. And you have to do all of this for your mother, as well.
You manage her paperwork. You make her medical appointments. You make sure her prescriptions are filled, her refrigerator is full, her mail is attended, her banking is done, and her bills are paid. You are the liaison for the home care agency and all the doctors.
You are the one whom everyone in the family calls before scheduling a visit. You are the one whom they call with concerns about her safety. You have to listen to all their ideas about what to do for her. You feel like you are on the firing line very often, having to field all the calls, do the work, and then get questioned by all and sundry.
You do have your own worries related to your mom. You have some concerns about some of the aides. You have installed cameras and security devices but facts are facts. Your mother is letting a stranger into her home regularly and is at the mercy of the home health aide. What if she is not talking to her nicely? What if she spends her time watching TV in the other room? What if she is on her phone all the time beyond the range of the camera?
Imagine if the person in the house was a family member. Someone who knows your mother and you? Someone you trust? Someone who cares about your mother?
You would feel so much more confident about her safety. You would feel so much more confident about all those hours being spent on your mother’s needs. You would feel confident that all tasks were done with care. You would feel confident that every effort was made to engage your mother and interest her in activities, hobbies, and pursuit. You would feel confident that she was spending her day happily stimulated, in the house. You would feel confident that she was taken outdoors as often as possible. You would feel that she was aging in place successfully.
She would take the initiative and be in touch even when things were status quo. She would take the initiative and introduce new games, music, and activities that your mother would enjoy. She would be reliable and resourceful. She would complete all the tasks in the care plan and then a lot more.
Your life would change. You would be able to do your paid job with less worry. Your family members would not stress you out with their calls, texts, and messages. You could manage all the responsibilities you have more effectively. You might even take a break with your partner and get away for a few days. You would not be wiped all the time, physically and emotionally.
CDPAP relieves the burden by allowing your mother or you to be the employer. That means you choose the caregiver. You choose the backups. You determine the schedule. You sign the time sheets and hold the caregiver accountable.
You or your mother will have some responsibility. You or your mother will need to sign time sheets and ensure compliance with the NYS Department of Health regulations in which you will be trained. Nevertheless, you will be in charge. It’s a small price to pay for peace of mind and excellent care giving.
What is CDPAP? Find out more about CDPAP from our CDPAP Articles and CDPAP Guides
- Apply for CDPAP here
- Read Stress Less with CDPAP Home Care
- Read Seven Tips to Improve Communication with Your Parent’s Caregivers
- Learn more – A QUICK GUIDE to joining the CDPAP Program in New York
- What are the The Realities of CDPAP?
- So, You Want to be a Paid Caregiver in the CDPAP Program?
- How does CDPAP help my family?
- Would you like to find out Will I Qualify for CDPAP?
What is the CDPAP program?
The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) is a program that allows a patient or their designated representative to employ a caregiver of their choice. This caregiver could be a family member, a friend, or a trusted individual. The employer (the patient or their representative) is responsible for determining the caregiver’s schedule, signing their timesheets, and holding them accountable.
How can the CDPAP program change your life if you’re caring for an aging parent?
The CDPAP program can significantly ease the burden of caregiving. If you’re currently juggling your own family, job, and household responsibilities, along with managing the care and paperwork for your aging parent, the CDPAP program can provide a trusted and familiar individual to assist with caregiving duties. This can give you confidence in your parent’s safety and wellbeing, allow you to focus more on your own responsibilities, and even allow for a much-needed break.
How does the CDPAP program improve the quality of care for the patient?
A caregiver employed through the CDPAP program can be someone who knows the patient well and genuinely cares about their wellbeing. This can lead to improved quality of care, with a caregiver who is proactive, reliable, and resourceful. The caregiver would complete all tasks in the care plan, engage the patient in activities and hobbies, and generally strive to make the patient’s day enjoyable and stimulating.
What responsibilities do patients or their representatives have in the CDPAP program?
Patients or their representatives who employ a caregiver through the CDPAP program are responsible for signing timesheets and ensuring compliance with the regulations of the New York State Department of Health. Training will be provided to assist with understanding these responsibilities. While this does involve some responsibility, it provides a high degree of control and flexibility in caregiving arrangements.
What benefits can the CDPAP program provide to family members of the patient?
Family members of the patient can benefit from the peace of mind that comes with having a trusted, familiar caregiver looking after their loved one. This can reduce worries about the patient’s safety and the quality of care they’re receiving. It can also free up time and energy for family members to focus on their own responsibilities, leading to less physical and emotional exhaustion.
