By Shannin Prather
July 2017 | 2017 Summer Newsletter
Your IHSS social worker wants to make sure that you are getting the care you need to continue living safely at home. This is why your social worker will do a reassessment via an in-home visit every twelve to eighteen months. This reassessment will check if your needs have changed, if you need different authorized services, and/or if you need a change in your number of authorized hours.
As a consumer, you have a very important role in this process. You and your care provider are the experts on your needs and must let the social worker know about any changes since your last assessment.
The social worker’s purpose during the in-home visit is to check the IHSS consumer’s abilities; figure out which services are needed, and the time needed to do those services. You can advocate for yourself by helping the social worker understand all of your care issues and special needs, as well as the time needed for these tasks.
During this visit, be honest about what you need. Speak to the social worker openly to explain your situation, and do not downplay your disability issues or care needs. Even though you may feel uncomfortable doing so, explain your situation in detail so that the social worker fully understands and provides the hours required for your care.
In the weeks before the social worker arrives for your reassessment; write down all tasks that you need help with each day. Include activities of daily living (housework, cooking, bathing, or getting in and out of bed, etc) that you need a care provider to help you with; how often you need help with those tasks; and how long it takes for your care provider to do those tasks for you. This list will help the social worker get a better picture of your needs.
Consumers can ask for a reassessment any time their needs change. If you have a change in your physical condition, living arrangements, or have had a recent hospitalization; you may ask for a reassessment by contacting your IHSS social worker.
For a sample self-assessment worksheet that you can use to get ready for your reassessment, please view the consumer training module titled “The IHSS Assessment, Reassessment, and Appeal Process” on the training page at pascc.org.