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Benefits Provided by the Federal Program

Activities of Daily Living

• Bathing:
  • getting into a tub or shower; and
  • getting out of a tub or shower; and
  • washing your body in a tub, shower or by sponge bath; and
  • washing your hair in a tub, shower or sink. (If you need substantial assistance from another person to complete any one of these activities, you are dependent for bathing);
• dressing:
  • putting on any necessary item of clothing (including undergarments) and any necessary braces, fasteners or artificial limbs; and
  • taking off any necessary item of clothing (including undergarments) and any necessary braces, fasteners or artificial limbs. (If you need substantial assistance from another person to complete any one of these activities, you are dependent for dressing);
• transferring:
  • getting into a bed, chair or wheelchair; and
  • getting out of a bed, chair or wheelchair. (If you need substantial assistance from another person to complete any one of these activities, you are dependent for transferring);
• toileting:
  • getting to and from the toilet; and
  • getting on and off the toilet; and
  • performing associated personal hygiene. (If you need substantial assistance from another person to complete any one of these activities, you are dependent for toileting);
• continence:
  • maintaining control of bowel and bladder function; or
  • when unable to maintain control of bowel or bladder function, performing associated personal hygiene (including caring for catheter or colostomy bag). (If you cannot maintain control of bowel or bladder function and in addition you need substantial assistance from another person to perform the associated personal hygiene, you are dependent for continence);
• eating:
  • feeding yourself by getting food into your mouth from a container (such as a plate or cup), including use of utensils when appropriate (such as a spoon or fork); or
  • when unable to feed yourself from a container, feeding yourself by a feeding tube or intravenously. (If you need substantial assistance from another person to complete any one of these activities, you are dependent for eating).

Severe cognitive impairment means a deterioration or loss in intellectual capacity (such as may occur with Alzheimer’s disease) that (a) places a person in jeopardy of harming him/herself or others and, therefore, the person requires substantial supervision by another person; and (b) is measured by clinical evidence and standardized tests which reliably measure impairment in: (1) short or long term memory; (2) orientation to people, places or time; and (3) deductive or abstract reasoning.

Substantial Assistance means Hands-On Assistance or Standby Assistance. Hands-On Assistance means physical help by another person without which you would not be able to perform the Activities of Daily Living. Standby Assistance means that you require the presence of another person within arm’s reach of you to prevent, by physical intervention or cueing, injury to you while you are performing the Activities of Daily Living..

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Call: 1-800-LTC-FEDS (1-800-582-3337) (TTY: 1-800-843-3557)

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