Important Updates for Home Care Families

DSCC is partnering with HFS to focus on families’ concerns and find solutions to pandemic-related challenges.

The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) takes pride in our partnership with the participants and families we serve.

Some Home Care parent partners have let us know about recent concerns affecting their children and families. We are working with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to address these concerns.

DSCC’s leadership would like to share the following updates with our Home Care families:

School in the fall

This school year will likely be a very different experience for our participants. With the first day fast approaching, we want you to know that DSCC and HFS are partnering to discuss ways to ensure your family is supported.

The decisions for how schools will operate this fall is up to individual school districts across the state.

We know many schools have yet to comprehensively address how they will handle services for children with individualized education programs (IEPs). Please communicate closely with your school district.

Also, let your DSCC Care Coordinator know if there are ways we can help support you and your child. Our staff can attend school meetings and work with your child’s IEP team to make sure their needs are met.

In a recent notice from HFS, the agency states it will ensure your child receives adequate nursing hours if the way nursing hours are provided in the school setting changes. Some individuals already have this difference written into their 2352. DSCC is working to get this information to HFS for changes to be made.

If your child’s difference in nursing hours from school is not clearly stated in your 2352 allocation, please notify your Care Coordinator so we can work to have HFS review your needs further.

DSCC encourages you to discuss any concerns about your child’s school-related needs with your pediatrician. Your child’s medical team can help weigh the pros and cons of in-person versus remote learning, if applicable.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Nursing agencies are responsible for providing PPE supplies for nurses working in your home, as always.

With the COVID-19 pandemic creating an increased demand for PPE, HFS has approved an additional $16 per day payment to nursing agencies on the days a nurse is working in the home. The nursing agencies across the state have received guidance on how to bill for this additional payment (a fairly simple process).

DSCC has been communicating regularly with home nursing agencies about the availability of PPE supplies. To date, availability has not been a problem. If you have concerns about the PPE supplies provided for your home nurses, please let DSCC know.

Your Home Medical Equipment company handles providing PPE supplies for your family. You will need an order from your child’s provider for these supplies.

Reminders

HFS received approval for several additional elements to be provided for your child, as needed, as part of Appendix K. Appendix K is an emergency coverage document for individuals receiving services through a Medicaid waiver. Please see a copy of the approved Appendix K document.

A few elements included are:

• Approval of nurse overtime for nurses working in the home setting at a rate of time and a half (for medically fragile, technology-dependent (MFTD) waiver participants only)
• Parents who are licensed nurses may be paid caregivers (for MFTD waiver participants and Nursing and Personal Care Services (NPCS) non-waiver participants)
• Respite hours are increased to 672 per year with respite provided at an increased rate (for MFTD waiver participants only)

Our DSCC team is here to support our Home Care participants and families. We will continue to work closely with HFS to focus on your concerns and find solutions.

We are all facing new challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please continue to communicate with your DSCC Care Coordinator or feel free to contact our administrative team to discuss any additional concerns you may have.