What is Adult Foster Care (AFC)?
Adult Foster Care (AFC), also called Adult Family Care, is a program for frail elderly adults and adults with disabilities who cannot live alone safely. AFC adults live with trained paid caregivers who provide daily care. Caregivers may be family members (except legally responsible relatives), or non-family members.
The program is for adults who need daily help with personal care, but want to live in a family setting rather than in a nursing home or other facility. The caregiver provides meals, companionship, personal care assistance, and 24-hour supervision. Caregivers may be individuals, couples, or larger families.
Caregivers receive up to $18,000 per year from MassHealth to provide care to MassHealth members who otherwise would need institutional care. Service providers, including a social worker and registered nurse, train the caregiver and provide ongoing support.
Am I Eligible?
To be eligible for Adult Foster Care / Adult Family Care:
Adult Foster Care / Adult Family Care offers two levels of care:
Who can be a Caregiver? See Page 2
Adult Foster Care (AFC), also called Adult Family Care, is a program for frail elderly adults and adults with disabilities who cannot live alone safely. AFC adults live with trained paid caregivers who provide daily care. Caregivers may be family members (except legally responsible relatives), or non-family members.
The program is for adults who need daily help with personal care, but want to live in a family setting rather than in a nursing home or other facility. The caregiver provides meals, companionship, personal care assistance, and 24-hour supervision. Caregivers may be individuals, couples, or larger families.
Caregivers receive up to $18,000 per year from MassHealth to provide care to MassHealth members who otherwise would need institutional care. Service providers, including a social worker and registered nurse, train the caregiver and provide ongoing support.
Am I Eligible?
To be eligible for Adult Foster Care / Adult Family Care:
- you must be 16 years of age or older
- you must be unable to live alone because of a medical, physical, cognitive or mental condition
- you must need daily assistance with one or more activities of daily living (ADLs)
- you cannot require full-time skilled nursing care
- you must be willing to live with your caregiver
- you must be eligible for MassHealth or able to pay privately
- your caregiver cannot be your spouse or another relative legally responsible for you
(Note: For a minor child, the caregiver cannot be a parent) - you must be approved for AFC by a physician and an Aging Services Access Point (ASAP)
Adult Foster Care / Adult Family Care offers two levels of care:
- Level 1 is for people who need daily assistance with at least one of the following activities of daily living (ADL): bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring from one position to another, ambulating (walking or wheelchair assistance), or eating
- Level 2 is for people who need assistance with three or more ADLs; or two or more ADLs, plus caregiver intervention for one or more of these behaviors: wandering, resisting care, being physically or verbally abusive, or socially inappropriate or disruptive behavior.
Who can be a Caregiver? See Page 2