Tips for Caregivers from Caring Bridge

Tips for Caregivers from Caring Bridge

by Mark JohnsonNo Comments
Caring Bridge offers tips for reducing the strain of care giving: There’s no way around it. Caregiving is one of the most rewarding responsibilities and a true act of love and devotion to a loved one. But it is also one of the most challenging and stressful responsibilities a family member or friend can take on. 1. Stay Organized Between appointments, trips to the store, making dinner, going into work – life can get away from you pretty fast. Start each day with a to-do list, or block out time in your calendar to get the top priorities done. That way you will feel like you have some direction and control. Be flexible, and don’t sweat if you have to adjust each day. Keeping a calendar, budget, grocery list, and book of different passcodes (there are so many “patient portals” to log in to these days!) will help you regain a little sanity in your everyday life.   2. Focus on What You Are Able to Provide You...
Read More
What Are Medicaid Waivers?

What Are Medicaid Waivers?

by Mark Johnson1 Comment
We are presently struggling to navigate through Medicaid Waivers in the State of Texas for our son (intellectual disability, autism, ADHD, DMDD - dysruptive mood disregulation disorder). We've been working for the YES (Youth Empowerment Services) Waiver with MHMR in Denton, Texas since April 2018 and are still waiting for services to begin. We were on the waiting list for a while. Then we were accepted to see if we are eligible - that process is taking months. There is a discrepancy with his IQ which is another story. WHAT ARE MEDICAID WAIVERS? Medicaid Waivers help provide services to people who would otherwise be in a nursing home or hospital to receive long-term care in the community. Although there are waivers for many conditions, our focus is towards waivers for people who have intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, and autism. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF WAIVERS? There are several types of waivers: Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS): gives home and community-based supports to...
Read More