Every year in Idaho, roughly 14,000 individuals suffer a debilitating brain injury.
This traumatic experience often leaves families navigating the challenging journey of caring for their loved one who needs assistance beyond what they are able to provide. Most families believe that nursing homes and assisted living facilities are their only options.
Residential Habilitation—also known as “ResHab”—offers an alternative to assisted living by providing care in the client’s private residence or shared multi-family housing.
Apply for Services
Begin by contacting Idaho Health & Welfare Self Reliance at 877-456-1233 to verify your eligibility to receive in-home care through Aged and Disabled (A&D) Waiver Services. Clients over the age of 65 may automatically qualify; those under 65 must apply for and receive Social Security Disability (SSD) status. If Self-Reliance determines you to be ineligible due to financial resources, you can contact a Medicaid planner found here in the Resources page for assistance or to set up a Miller Trust.
Once your eligibility is confirmed, you will be referred to the Bureau of Long Term Care (who you can contact at 877-799-4430) and a Nurse Reviewer will be assigned to your case. The Nurse Reviewer will perform a Uniform Assessment Instrument (UAI) to recommend a level of care, then send an L-CERT (a levels of care assessment) back to Self Reliance for approval.
Create a Plan
After receiving approval from Self Reliance, the Nurse Reviewer will order a Scale of Independent Behavior (SIB-R) assessment to be performed by Liberty Healthcare.
You can follow up with Liberty Healthcare at 877-305-3469 to verify the appointment. The Liberty Healthcare assessment will include a variety of questions regarding diagnoses, functional abilities and level of care needed.
Once your SIB-R is completed, you can meet with ResHab agencies to select one that will be a good fit. Create a plan with the ResHab agency that includes options for housing, the hours of care to be received, and any specific goals to be set.
Receive Services
ResHab offers assistance with mobility, self-direction, cooking, cleaning, dressing, shopping, socialization, assistance with medications and therapy appointments. They also assist with transportation, activities, quality of life, and general well-being. Many Residential Habilitation agencies will offer options for housing and roommates.
ResHab services are governed by laws that protect client rights. Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) laws outline how clients or guardians decide when, where, and which services are received.
Adjustments to the care plan can be made throughout the year by contacting the Nurse Reviewer.
You can also find the step-by-step process for the A&D Waiver on this page.