DC begins soft launch of “Independent Living Support” pilot program
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — The Dunn County Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) has started the soft launch of the Independent Living Support pilot program.
The state of Wisconsin had planned the roll-out of the ILSP for July 11 but delayed the soft launch until July 24, said Tracy Fischer, manager of the ADRC, at a meeting of the ADRC Advisory Committee on July 17.
Fischer reported to the ADRC Advisory Committee in March that Dunn County, Chippewa County and Eau Claire County had teamed up to apply for the pilot program through the state of Wisconsin, with Dunn County as the lead, and had been awarded $3.5 million all together.
Participants in the Independent Living Support grant pilot program will receive $7,200 for items or services to help keep them safe in their homes, such as ramps, lift chairs and nursing help.
The reason for the delay in the roll-out is that the state is working on a computer system to manage the finances for the pilot program, and the computer system is not yet ready to go, Fischer said.
As of July 24, ADRC staff can start talking to people who have expressed interest, screening potential enrollees and taking paper versions of the application, she said.
People will not officially be enrolled in the pilot program until the computer system is up and running, which is expected to be sometime in August, Fischer noted.
Two program assistants have been hired for the Independent Living Support Pilot program: Mary Linberg and Kathleen Kjenslee. Both women are highly qualified to work with the pilot program and have been busy organizing the program, putting together resource lists, working on marketing materials and working to become acquainted with staff members in Chippewa County and Eau Claire County, she said.
“They are both a wonderful fit with the ADRC … we are as ready as we can be for the launch,” Fischer said.
Slots
Each county has a waiting list of about 35 people, Fischer said.
The pilot program has funding for 430 slots all together for the three counties. The program ends in March of 2025, she said.
The last day people can enroll in the pilot program is March 31, 2024, and then they will still have one year to use the funds, Fischer explained.
The Dunn County, Chippewa County and Eau Claire partnership in the pilot program is one of 13 pilot projects in Wisconsin.
“We hope to provide great data so the project can continue beyond the pilot,” Fischer said.
Each project received a different number of slots. Dane County received 1,300, and Milwaukee County also received a large number. The Dunn County project is the third largest in the state, she said.
Instead of dividing the slots according to the population in each of the three counties, the state wants the program administered on a first-come, first-served basis, Fischer said.
Once the 430 slots are filled, the state wants each pilot project to continue putting people on the waiting list, she said,
More slots may be granted if more money is available, and the state also wants to show how much need there is for a permanent program, Fischer said.
The waiting list will show the federal government there is a need for the program. There are 5,000 slots available across the state for the pilot program, she said.
Funds
If someone does not use the full $7,200, the money will go back to the state of Wisconsin, and the state may then issue additional slots, Fischer said.
If someone dies before the money is spent, the state still wants the money to come back to the state and not be redistributed to someone else on the waiting list, she said,
Does the money from the grant project have to be paid back at the death of the recipient or the sale of the property? asked Chris Olson, ADRC Advisory Committee member.
The money does not have to be paid back, and the money is not tied to assets in the way Medicaid is tied to assets, Fischer said.
Perhaps if the program becomes permanent there may be some expectation of a payback from the estate, but there is no expectation of payback with the pilot program, she said.
Criteria
The criteria for participating in the program will be included on the marketing materials, Fischer said.
The criteria for participating in the program is that individuals ages 18 to 54 must be diagnosed with a disability and have a functional need, such as difficulty with a daily living activity, she said.
People who are 55 years or older do not need a diagnosis of a disability, but they must have a functional need, such as needing assistance with medication, preparing meals or bathing and dressing, or must have a need to make alterations in their home to assist with daily living, Fischer said.
During the screening and paperwork, the program assistant will go over the criteria with the potential enrollees, she noted.
The financial requirement is that people have an income that is no more than 300 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $43,740 per individual, Fischer said.
Most programs that help people with disabilities or older people require participants to be eligible for Medicaid, and people have to spend down their assets to be eligible for Medicaid, she said.
The pilot program does not require people to spend down their assets and only considers the income of the individual applying, Fischer said, noting that in communications with the state, she specifically asked for clarification on the individual income eligibility.
The ILSP program only considers the individual’s income. If a married couple is making more than $87, 480, or twice the $43,740, it is only the individual’s income who is applying that is considered, she said.
So in other words, if the wife’s income is $30,000, and husband’s income is $57,480, the wife is still eligible to participate in the ILSP although the husband is not eligible.
Contractors
Olson asked about the availability of contractors and noted that he has been trying to get some projects done for his brother and has been told it would be 2026 before the contractors will be able to do the work.
Every county that is participating in the pilot program has brought this up, Fischer said.
Just because funding is available does not mean contractors or workers for services will be available, she said.
The pilot program is not contracting with care providers or contractors, and there is some expectation that people will find their own providers for services. The Dunn County ADRC will try to help by providing lists of contractors and care providers that work with the ADRC, Fischer said.
Some people who need help in their homes will be able to have family members provide care and be paid caregivers, as is the case with the IRIS program, she said.
IRIS stands for “Include, Respect, I Self-Direct” and is a self-directed program for adults with disabilities and the elderly in Wisconsin.
There will be a process through which family members can become paid caregivers, Fischer said.
Fischer said although she wished that it were the case, Dunn County does not have a secret list of providers or contractors, and it will be a challenge.
Background checks
Dunn County will be the third party who conducts background checks on the caregivers, and the caregivers will submit their time cards to Dunn County, Fischer said.
Margy Hagaman, a member of the ADRC Advisory Committee, asked about whether caregivers would need liability insurance.
“I don’t think so,” Fischer replied.
Liability insurance is not required in the IRIS program, and the pilot project guidelines are based off the IRIS guidelines, she said.
Marketing
One ADRC Advisory Committee member asked how people would become aware of the program.
Right now, the ADRC is not pushing any marketing for the pilot program. The initial waiting list has come from people contacting the ADRC after the state published a news release and after an interview with WQOW Television, Fischer said.
If the ADRC has contacts with people who are eligible for other programs, ADRC staff can ask if they would be interested in the pilot program and add them to the interest list, she said.
When the program opens, the program assistants will contact people on the list again to see if they are still interested, Fischer said.
Another ADRC Advisory Committee member said she was concerned that if people have a family member with a disability, they might not have any extra time to read or hear news of the pilot program.
The ADRC will be doing outreach through newsletters, and there is money available for newspaper advertising, and if people contact the ADRC, all ADRC employees are aware of the pilot program, Fischer said.
“It’s always a struggle for ADRCs to get the word out,” she said
“I am really excited about this program. I could not be more thrilled we were selected. I am so hopeful it will be successful and will able to be expanded and to continue,” Fischer said.
There are so many people who need help but who do not meet the financial requirements for other programs, and yet, they cannot pay for services or make alterations in their homes on their own, she said,
The pilot program “opens the door” for people who need help but who have not been eligible in the past, Fischer said.
COVID
The pilot program was initiated by the Wisconsin Bureau of Aging and Disability Resources, Fischer said.
BADR made a case before the federal government to be able to use leftover American Rescue Plan Act funds in a different way than COVID education and requested this special project, she said.
“This is the only project like this in the country,” Fischer said.
Wisconsin received special permission from the federal government and it is not tied to COVID in any way, she said.
Fischer said she did not believe there would be any problem filling the 430 slots and that there will be a substantial waiting list once people realize it is available and the flexibility of the pilot program.
Caregivers, equipment, modifications — it just has to be something that will help people stay safely in their own homes, she said.
Partnership
If Dunn County “did not have an ADRC that’s on the ball, we wouldn’t have this project,” said Larry Bjork, county board supervisor from Menomonie and chair of the ADRC Advisory Committee.
The Dunn-Chippewa-Eau Claire partnership s the only project in the state where multiple counties teamed up, Fischer said.
State officials have highlighted this several times, and they want to be able to see if teaming up will save resources, she said, noting that there are two program assistants to work in the three counties,
The state wants to see if this is a cost-effective way to run this program, Fischer said, adding that she believed it would be cost-effective.
“This is just super-duper great!” Bjork exclaimed.
