Housing
Supportive Services
Supportive services that provide assistance with activities of daily living are separate from housing, but necessary for some older adults to age-in-place. For moderate and low-income seniors, supportive services such as in-home personal assistance is expensive and government assistance is limited. Medicare only pays for personal care provided by home health aides on a part-time or intermittent basis when the patient is also receiving skilled care (i.e., nursing care or other therapy). Medicare does not pay for homemaker services such as shopping, cleaning, and laundry. Older adults who meet income and other eligibility requirements can receive Medicaid and/or other government funding for supportive services, but may face long waiting lists. RACs agreed there is a shortage of supportive services for older adults and persons with disabilities.
Owners and administrators of government-subsidized rental housing, including PHAs, face an increasing need for supportive services to help their physically impaired tenants remain in their homes. HUD offers competitive grants that PHAs can use to facilitate or provide supportive services to public housing residents. Funding for these grants is extremely limited.
Updated: November 2, 2007
