More than 100 caregivers and their family members turned out for the eighth annual Caregiver Retreat on Saturday, October 28, at the Sheraton Hotel in Eatontown. Hosted by Monmouth County’s Office on Aging, the event featured nearly two dozen local care providers who offered information and advice about the various social services to help seniors and individuals regain their independence in the community.
FCS director of Community Support Services Michele O’Shaughnessy and our Medicaid Application Assistant Program (MAAP) coordinator Phyllis Noviello were on hand to outline the services FCS provides including Statewide Respite Care, Home Health Care and Respite Care grants, help with Medicaid’s Managed Long Term Services and Support (MLTSS) and Jersey Assistance for Community Caregiving, or JACC.
JACC, is a state-funded program managed by the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services and administered in Monmouth County by FCS. It provides in-home services including personal care assistance, home health care, respite care, home modification, transportation and more to seniors at risk of placement in a nursing home.
“JACC was designed to keep people living safely at home and to delay or prevent long-term care placement,” Michele explains.
Another FCS administered program, Statewide Respite Care, provides assistance to families by giving unpaid caregivers a break from the daily responsibility of caring for a home-bound relative or friend. Grants may be used to give unpaid caregivers time off for personal matters or cope with an emergency, among other things.
“Being a caregiver is both physically and financially draining,” Michele says. “Caregivers need a break in to order to continue providing care for their loved ones.”
FCS’s fee-based MAAP program provides support to individuals who may be eligible for Medicaid benefits, but need assistance completing the complicated Medicaid Managed Long-term Services & Support (MLTSS) application. This fee-for-service program helps simplify the process, facilitating a client’s ability to access assistance for healthcare-related costs.
Phyllis explains, “By utilizing the Medicaid Application Assistance Programs, individuals and families are relieved from the stress involved in the Medicaid MLTSS application process.”
Of course, there are numerous requirements to qualify for all of our CSS programs. You can learn more or on our website at https://www.fcsmonmouth.org/what-we-do/#community-support-services or contact FCS Community Support Services at 732-222-9111 Ext. 144 or pradzik@fcsmonmouth.org.