From staff and wire reports

The Natchez Democrat

After only three weeks, more than 1,000 elderly and disabled Louisiana residents have applied to get home-care services under a new program that offers alternatives to nursing homes and other institutional care.

&uot;The program is designed to keep people that would end up in a nursing home, to keep them out in the community,&uot; said Emma Jackson, Medicaid area manager for Catahoula and Concordia parishes.

No one has started receiving services under the new program, which began taking applications Jan. 19, but 1,071 people have asked for the services and are participating in the lengthy application process, according to the state Department of Health and Hospitals.

Jackson said there have been a few people in the parish inquiring about the program. The program would provide up to 56 hours a week of personal care to individuals who can live at home with a little help.

&uot;A lot of times that’s all they need, a little help to be able to stay at home,&uot; Jackson said.

The recipient’s primary care physician will prescribe services for each patient.

Personal care services offered include services such as help with eating, bathing, dressing, grocery shopping and accompanying the recipient to medical appointments.

But Jackson called it a win-win situation because &uot;99 percent of the time elderly people want to stay at home&uot; and providing these in-home services is less cost than putting the people in nursing homes. &uot;Along comes something that will really help&uot; the elderly, Jackson said.

The health department hoped to get 2,300 people enrolled in the program for the first year.

according to Kristen Meyer, DHH public information officer.

&uot;In less than the first month, we’ve gotten nearly half of that,&uot; Meyer said Tuesday.

Meyer said there was no timeline for when the first people may begin getting services through the program.

The application process includes an in-house visit, the development of a medical plan by a doctor and other further levels of approval.

The launch of the program, which is expected to cost $19 million in the fiscal year that ends June 30, was delayed by opposition from the Legislature and the state’s influential nursing-home industry.

But a judge’s ruling last summer, followed by federal approval in late December, opened the way for the program.

About 90 percent of Medicaid spending on long-term care in Louisiana now goes to nursing homes, putting the state far behind a national trend that has seen resources diverted to home- and community-based care.

To qualify for the new program, a person must be a Medicaid patient at least 65 years old or meet the Social Security standard for disability, and have a monthly income of less than $564. Anyone who wants to apply for services can call 1-866-229-5222 for an evaluation.