By Kay Kaylor
Special to The SUN
Do you know someone or are you a person who is living alone and aging who could use some extra help with shopping or taking medication? Or perhaps you are caregiving for an elderly person or a grandchild and could use a break for a few hours?
In the interest of helping people who are age 60 and older stay at home, rather than being admitted into a long-term care facility, the San Juan Basin Area Agency on Aging (AAA) in Pagosa Springs offers several supportive services. These services include up to $500 in respite family caregiver grant vouchers for family members or nonprofessionals who are caring for people age 60 years or older or for grandparents, age 55 and older, who are caregivers of a child who is related by blood or marriage. Similar grant vouchers can be applied to homemaker services and in-home personal care services from approved service providers in Archuleta County.
Priority will be given for people who are most in need due to low income and for people who haven’t used a voucher in the past two years. All of the services have specific certification, training and oversight requirements for providers performing the services. Persons who receive home health aide services, depending on availability, cannot also receive these services through Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance. In addition, the person under care must not be receiving duplicate services.
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