60-85 Myrtle Avenue, Ridgewood, NY 11385
  • What is CDPAP
    • A Medicaid program offering services to chronically ill or physically disabled individuals who require assistance with daily living activities or skilled nursing care.
    • The consumer, or a “Designated Representative” acting on their behalf, takes on full responsibility for hiring, training, supervising, and terminating the employment of individuals providing the services (“Consumer Directed Personal Assistant” or “CDPAP”).
  • Benefits of CDPAP
    • Consumers have the flexibility and freedom to select their caregivers or designate a representative to make these choices on their behalf. This enables the consumer to:
      • Recruit caregivers according to their own criteria
      • Train their caregivers to carry out all necessary tasks
      • Manage their own care, including scheduling caregiver time to fit their personal needs
  • CDPAP Services
    • Personal Care
      • Bathing / total bath or assistance with bathing
      • Mouth care, skin care, shaving
      • Mobility – Assistance with ambulation
      • Nutrition – Meal preparation/eating
      • Toileting / Elimination
      • Housekeeping
  • Eligibility
    • To enroll in CDPAP, an individual must:
      • Be eligible for Medicaid
      • Be self-directing or have a Designated Representative
      • Expect to need personal assistance for at least 180 days
      • Not be acutely ill
  • CDPAP Rules and Regulations

    The following are commonly applicable CDPAP rules and regulations:

    • CDPAP is a Medicaid-based program, and consumers must have Medicaid to apply.
    • Consumers must need home care.
    • Consumers must be self-directing or have a representative to direct their care.
    • Consumers can hire almost anyone legally allowed to work, including most family members and friends, as their paid caregivers.
    • Parents can hire their children to be paid family caregivers.
    • Children aged 21 or older can choose their parents as paid caregivers, but children younger than 21 cannot.
    • CDPAP home care consumers can select their siblings as paid family caregivers.
    • Spouses cannot hire each other as paid family caregivers.
    • Caregivers do not need any license or certification.
    • The consumer or their representative is responsible for training their caregiver.
Frequently Asked Questions Here are some frequently asked questions about CDPAP:
What is CDPAP?

CDPAP, or Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, is a Medicaid initiative in New York State. This program enables home care recipients to recruit, hire, and manage their own caregivers. A key feature of CDPAP is that it permits consumers to employ family members and friends as their caregivers.

What are the requirements to be eligible for CDPAP?

Consumers must need help with activities of daily living or skilled care, have a stable medical condition, and be self-directing or have a designated representative willing and able to direct care according to the program’s requirements.

My family members serve as the caregivers (personal assistants)?

Generally, yes. However, spouses are not permitted to serve as personal assistants under CDPAP. Additionally, parents cannot act as personal assistants for children under 21 years old.

Do caregivers (personal assistants) need a special license or certification?

NO.

What are the requirements to become a caregiver under CDPAP?

The following are the documentation requirements for a CDPAP caregiver at our agency:

  • An unexpired photo ID is required, such as a NYS ID, Driver’s License, Passport, Permanent Resident Card, or Work Authorization Card. You may also need a second form of identification. Only original IDs are accepted;An unexpired photo ID is required, such as a NYS ID, Driver’s License, Passport, Permanent Resident Card, or Work Authorization Card. You may also need a second form of identification. Only original IDs are accepted; copies will not be accepted.
  • Social Security Card
  • Pre-employment Physical – Must be completed no later than 6 months from the application date. Copy this link to your browser if the download form link above is not working. https://www.serenityhca.com/home-care-for-caregivers
  • Medical-Form.pdf
  • Rubella Lab Report – The results must indicate Immune or high (Lab Report). If the results are low, proof of one vaccine must include the administration date and the name and license number of the person who ministered it.
  • Rubeola (Measles) Lab Report – The results must indicate Immune or high (Lab Report). If the results are low, proof of two vaccines is required, including the dates of administration and the name and license number of the person who ministered them.
  • Two-step TST (PPD) or IGRA QuantiFERON within the past 12 months, along with a TB Risk Assessment. *For Positive PPD: You MUST provide a CHEST X-RAY Report (NOT a Doctor’s note) that includes the Doctor’s signature and license number.
How does someone enroll in CDPAP?

Enrolling in CDPAP can be confusing, but help is available. Call us at 718-717-7426, and a CDPAP specialist will guide you through each step of the enrollment process.

Advantages of CDPAP vs Traditional Home Care

Here are some benefits of CDPAP compared to traditional home care:

  • Close relatives, like children, can be paid to provide care.
  • Personal assistants do not need special certification or licensing to offer home care.
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