Questions and Answers for CASA Website

1.  Adult Day Care: I would be willing to take care of my mother but I work all day. Is there some place where I could take her for day care?  Broome County has two day care programs. One is social (Yesteryears) and one is medical (Golden Days). The social day care program provides the opportunity for seniors to get out of the house during the day and socialize with other people. The medical day care program is for people who may need medical attention during the day such as insulin injections or dressing changes. Call CASA 607-778-2420 for more information.

2.  Animal care: A friend of mine has many, many animals in the house. Who should I call just to make sure the animals are being cared for?   You can call Animal Care Council (ACC) 786-7729, Project Paw 724-2241or SPEAK 729-7368.

3.  Assessment: Where do I start if I need help for my father but I don’t know what type of help he might need?  Call CASA 607-778-2420. A nurse can provide you with information. A free in home evaluation can be done to determine his needs.

4.  Care for family member: How can I get someone to care for my family member?  A nurse from CASA would make a home visit free of charge to determine if your family member needs a nurse or could manage with an aide. The CASA nurse would develop a care plan with you and tell you how to access the services you need. 

5.  Care when I go away: How can I get someone to stay with my family member while I go out of town?  You can call CASA to learn about the options available for your loved one when you need to be away. People can be admitted on a temporary basis to a care facility or there are many options to pay for care to come into the home.

6.  Caregiver burnout: I’ve been helping my elderly family member for several years with shopping, cooking, and general care. I’m getting tired. Is there some place I can call to get someone else to do it?  Call CASA 607-778-2420. A nurse could come to the family member’s home to evaluate for their needs and provide information on services available in the home and community. The nurse could also tell you the cost of the services.

7.  CASA: What does CASA stand for?  The word CASA means home in Italian and Spanish. We assist people in need of long term care to stay in their home. When that is not possible, we assist people in looking for other places to live where they can receive the care they need and create a new “home”. CASA is a department of Broome County Government. People of any age or income can be assessed for services in their homes, nursing homes or hospitals free of charge. Call CASA for more information 607-778-2420. CASA is a NY Connects Partner.

8.  CASA evaluation: We have tried everything but we cannot keep our father safe. Could we have a CASA evaluation?  Yes, call 778-2420 to arrange for a CASA nurse to visit the home free of charge to evaluate the situation and make recommendations.

9.  Concerned about a friend: My next door neighbor won’t go outside. Is there some way I can have someone come by to talk with her about going outside her house?  You can call CASA and give us information for a referral. CASA would call the client to schedule a home visit. If your neighbor won’t agree to the visit and you are concerned for his/her safety you could call Adult Protective Services at 607-778-2635.

10. Consumer Directed Care: What is the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program and who qualifies?  This program is a Medicaid home care program. Just as the name implies, the consumer is responsible for hiring, firing, training and directing their aide service. CASA evaluates all home care recipients for this type of care.  Any client who is alert, oriented, and self directing may choose to receive their services in this program rather than traditional home care. CASA works with the individual to develop a plan of care and authorizes the service hours. The Southern Tier Independence Center works with the consumer on the process of hiring their own aide.

11. Depression: My mother lives alone and is very depressed. She won’t go to see anyone about the depression. Can I get someone to come to see her and talk with her about it?  CASA could provide a nurse to evaluate your mother. The nurse may be able to convince your mother to see her doctor. We could make referrals to other agencies that may send a peer counselor to visit your mother or refer her to the Home Program through the Office for Aging for a mental health evaluation.

12. Information for assessment: Someone is coming to our house to do a home assessment. What type of information should I make available during the assessment? What questions should I ask? The nurse will want to see the Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance cards, a list of medications, names of doctors, names of other agencies providing care and a list of medical problems.  Also information on your finances is crucial to determining the next steps to take in obtaining services. You can ask any questions of the nurse regarding financial, medical, social, or care giving concerns.

13. Language besides English: My mother only speaks Spanish. It is very difficult for me to find someone to care for her. I have a friend who speaks Spanish and is willing to take care of my mother but she needs to be paid to care for her. Who can I call to see if my friend can be paid by a governmental agency?  Call CASA 607-778-2420. A CASA nurse would make a home visit to determine if your mother was eligible for the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program.

14. Level of care: What does “level of care” mean?  Level of care refers to the type and amount of services people need. CASA determines what “level of care” a person is eligible for after an assessment is complete. A person may be eligible for one or more of the following services: home care, nursing home, adult home, assisted living or a family type home. Call CASA for more information 607-778-2420.

What long term care facilities in Broome County have more than one level of care?   In Broome County Good Shepherd Fairview Home, Ideal Senior Living Center, Elizabeth Church Manor and James G. Johnston Memorial Home have multiple levels of care. This means that you can receive nursing home care or live independently in an apartment on the same campus. The advantage of this type of living situation is that as your condition changes you can easily move between those levels of care. Or your spouse may receive care in one level while you are in another, but in the same complex.

15. Living alone: What do I do when my family member can’t be left alone anymore? A CASA nurse can visit the home to evaluate your family member and provide you with information on services available in the home. The nurse can discuss nursing homes and other housing options with you.

16. Loss of appetite: My mother has not been eating and is losing weight. She refuses to see her physician. How can I convince her to accept help?  A CASA nurse could make a home visit to evaluate your mother and make suggestions. Some times an elder may accept suggestions from an agency but not from a family member. She may agree to Meals on Wheels. Maybe she just doesn’t feel like cooking for herself any longer. There are also protein drinks and medications that can stimulate the appetite. Maybe the CASA nurse could convince your mother to see her doctor to rule out a cause for the loss of appetite.

17. Meals on Wheels: Is there a charge for Meals on Wheels?  There are two Meals On Wheels Programs in Broome County. One is operated by the Broome County Office for the Aging and the other is operated by Meals on Wheels of Western Broome. There is a minimum suggested contribution for the program operated by the Broome County Office for the Aging, but no one will be turned away for inability to pay. There is a charge for the program operated by Western Broome. Who provides your service depends on where you live. All fees are minimal and are used to cover expenses of operating these programs. You can call Meals on Wheels of Western Broome 607-754-7856 or the Office for Aging 607-778-2411 for more information.

18. Medicaid: How do I apply for Medicaid? You can call the Broome County Department of Social Services 607-778-2604 for a Medicaid appointment or access information on the Web at www.health.state.ny.us.

19. Medicare and Medicaid: What is the difference between Medicare and Medicaid?

Medicare is a program operated by the federal government and covers hospital and physician payments. Medicare provides limited home care and nursing home care services. Medicare generally covers everyone over the age of 65 and younger adults who have been disabled for two years.

Medicaid is a program operated by state governments and coverage varies around the country. To be eligible for Medicaid you must meet certain income guidelines and have a medical condition that needs attention.

20. Medication Management: My mother forgets to take her medications. What should we do?  Call CASA at 607-778-2420. The CASA intake nurse can provide you with suggestions. She may suggest a simple pill sorter or one with an alarm. A CASA home visit can also be made to evaluate your mother and provide information on alternate living situations where medication assistance is provided.

21. Moving to Broome: My father is moving back to Binghamton from Florida. He is receiving services in Florida. What services would he be eligible for in Broome County? The CASA nurse would want to know the type of service he is currently receiving and who is paying for it. Once your father is in Broome County, a CASA nurse could make a home visit to determine his needs and provide you with information.

22. Moving to Broome for nursing home care: My father lives alone in New York City and he needs 24 hour care. How can we move our father to a nursing home in Broome County?  CASA can provide you with a list of all the nursing homes in Broome County. CASA can direct you to the agency in New York City who does the paperwork required by New York State to place someone in a nursing home. That agency staff could evaluate your father to determine if he needs a nursing home or a lower level of care. They could fax copies of their paperwork to the Broome County facilities of your choice.

23. Nursing Home and Assisted Living: What is the difference between a nursing home and assisted living? Do they cost about the same? Nursing home care is more expensive than assisted living. A person in a nursing home would require more hands on assistance than someone in assisted living.

24. Other help: I have been caring for my mother for many years by doing her shopping, fixing her meals, taking her to medical appointments, writing out checks, etc. Is there someone who can periodically relieve me for a day or so? There are agencies in Broome that provide shopping. Maybe your mother would enjoy Meals on Wheels a few times each week. The Office for Aging has a respite program. Call CASA 607-778-2420 for more information.

25. Paying family caregivers: Can I get paid to care for my elderly family member?  There is a Medicaid program called the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program that does provide funds for certain family members to be paid to provide care. However, the care recipient must be eligible for Medicaid and be able to direct their own care to participate in this program. Call CASA 607-778-2420 for more information.

26. Paying for nursing home care: How do people pay for nursing home placement?  People use private funds, long term care insurance or if they are income eligible, Medicaid. Call CASA 607-778-2420 for more information.

27. Personal Care: What is personal care? Personal care is care that assists people with disabilities of all ages with activities of daily living. Activities of daily living include being able to feed, bathe, and dress yourself. Independent activities of daily living include laundry, housekeeping and grocery shopping.

28. PRI/Screen: What is a PRI/Screen?  The PRI (Patient Review Instrument) and Screen are forms developed by New York State as screening tools to determine if a person is appropriate for nursing home, assisted living or traumatic brain injury programs. The PRI assesses how much help a person needs with eating, transferring and toileting. CASA does the PRI and Screen at no cost to the client.

29. Socialization: My father is lonely. I heard about Social Day Care and I would like my father to attend. What should I do? Call CASA 607-778-2420. A CASA nurse will make an appointment to visit your father in his home to assess his need for social day care.

30. Social Day Care: What type of care does social day care provide? The Broome County Office for the Aging provides Social Day Care. The program is called Yesteryears. Services include lunch, exercise, and socialization. Cost is determined on a sliding scale based on income.

31. Wandering: My husband has started wandering away from our home. The other day a neighbor found him several blocks away from the house and he was very confused about where he was and what he was doing there. Who can I call for some kind of evaluation of this situation? Call the Alzheimer’s Association 607-785-7852. They can give you the information on obtaining a safe return bracelet. A nurse from CASA or the Office for Aging could make a home visit to evaluate the situation and make suggestions for how to make the home safer.

32. What is a home assessment? Who does them? How can I sign up for one? How long will it take? A nurse/case worker from CASA or the Office of Aging makes the home visit. A home visit takes one to two hours. The nurse/case worker will be looking at what you can do for yourself and what it is that you need help with. She will also want to see your entire living area to look for any safety hazards. Call CASA 607-778-2420 to schedule a home visit.

33. Where to call for help: Is there somewhere I can call to talk to a nurse about my elderly family member? You can call CASA at 607-778-2420. Is there a charge for this service?  There is no charge to speak to a nurse at CASA or to have a CASA nurse visit the home.