General Information

While the responsibility for hiring, training, supervising, paying, and replacing attendants belongs solely to the student receiving care, the Disabled Student Development (DSD) staff can assist you through the process.  It is suggested that you read through this packet of information well before you enroll at Ball State. You must have your attendant care arranged prior to moving into university residence halls or apartments.  A thorough reading of this information will help you understanding what level of care you will need and how the process of receiving attendant care works. 

What is Attendant Care?
Attendant care can range from minor duties such as light cleaning or laundry needs to advance care such as bowel and bladder assistance. Attendants are usually arranged on a "drop-in" basis. An individual may even choose to hire more than one person to be an attendant at the same time.  Students typically use home health care agencies for higher level care needs.  For lower level needs, students with disabilities often hire fellow students as attendants.

Who Pays for Attendant Care?
Responsibility for payment of attendant is left to the individual receiving the care; however, in most cases, payment is covered by either Medicaid of by Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). Medicaid often pays for nursing or higher level care needs, and VR can supplement this and pay for lower level needs.  The hourly wage for attendant care through VR is $9.00 per hour. Your care level will be determined by you and your VR counselor. VR clients are responsible for all paperwork necessary to ensure his/her attendant gets paid. When you choose an attendant, the first thing that you need to do is submit an authorization form to VR for that attendant. This will authorize that attendant to get paid by VR. You may pick up a copy of this form in the office of Disabled Student Development (DSD). DSD also has copies of a billing form that the attendant can use for billing VR for services rendered. It is crucial that financial arrangements be understood both by the disabled student and the attendant before the attendant begins to assist the disabled student. For those who are not VR clients, you could pay an attendant more or less than the prevailing rate.

Who can serve as an attendant?
If you want to hire a Muncie area home health care agency, DSD can provide you with a list of local agencies.  DSD does not endorse any agencies on this list nor does DSD know fees or schedules of these agencies.

If you are looking for a fellow student to provide care, the first option a student may choose when searching for an attendant is looking at your own or surrounding high schools. Attempt to find someone also attending Ball State. This option could save time.

Another option for finding attendants is the referral list provided by DSD. While the list is not extensive, it may provide possibilities. DSD recruits students who might be interested in providing attendant care. No attempt is made to screen or evaluate applicants. Basic information about these persons is given to the student with a disability in the form of a list. To obtain a copy of the list, call or stop by the DSD office. The student with the disability then makes his/her own interview appointments.

A third option is advertising. You might want to advertise in your hometown newspaper, in the Muncie newspaper (765-747-5777), or in the Ball State Daily News (765-285-8247).

Determination of Care Levels
Five care levels have been set according to the amount of assistance needed by the student with the disability. DSD can advise the student in determining which care level is appropriate. All attendant care situations will not fit neatly into these five categories. However, this system provides an adequate amount of accuracy and flexibility in arranging for attendant care. The student and parent(s) or current attendant should complete the attendant care checklist that follows the listing of levels to get a good idea of which level of care would be the most appropriate.

Your level of care will be based on the following five levels:

Level One – An average of one hour per day of attendant care services. These services might include room cleaning, washing and drying of clothes, assistance to and from the shower, and some other minor maintenance functions that the student is unable to perform.

Level Two – An average of two hours per day of attendant care services. This will include low level quadriplegics and others who need transfer assistance but have at least semi-independence in bowel and bladder care. Also included might be minor wheelchair maintenance functions such as battery charging and changing of tires and belts.

Level Three – An average of three hours per day of attendant care services. This involves quadriplegics and others with severe disabilities who have gained independence in some areas of health care (teeth, hair, pills, washing, etc.) this attendant service may include dressing, transfer, personal hygiene, and bowel and bladder care.

Level Four – An average of four hours per day of attendant care services. Involving most high level quadriplegics, this service includes transfers, dressing, hygiene assistance, bowel and bladder care, some meal assistance, as well as the items covered above.

Level Five – An average of five hours per day of attendant care services. This involves students with less independence that at level four. This may include feeding and catheterization, as well as the items covered above.

Resources
For further information regarding attendant care services, please consult one of the following resources. While this list certailnly does not include all resources available, these sources can provide a more detailed explanation of attendant care services and issues.

Websites and Information Online:

-- Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns
-- American Disabled for Attendant Care Programs
-- Caregiver Survivor Resources

Disability Information at Your Fingertips (3^rd ed.)
This handbook includes phone numbers, web addresses, and TDD numbers for nonprofit and government agencies that exist to assist people with disabilities.  The cost for this handbook is $10 and ordering information can be found on the Disability Resources Monthly webpage. (http://www.disabilityresources.org/DRMpubs.html)

The Rehabilitation Research Center at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
This website provides a variety of information and resources for people with spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries, including information about attendant care. http://www.tbi-sci.org/main.html

The Spinal Cord Injury Information Network
This extensive website is located on the University of Alabama web server.  This website lists information about organizations, accessibility, equipment, and disability organizations for people with spinal cord injuries. http://www.spinalcord.uab.edu/

The National Spinal Cord Injury Association
This website has information and resources for people with spinal cord injuries.  Topics covered on this website, located in the A-Z list, include care giving, financial aid for students, assistive technology, travel, recreation, and many more. http://www.spinalcord.org/index.php

The Spinal Cord Injury Resource Center
This website includes information about the anatomy, physiology, and complications from a spinal cord injury.  It also includes information about rehabilitation, books about spinal cord injuries, and daily living with spinal cord injury.  http://www.spinalinjury.net/

Books:

-- Avoiding Attendants from Hell: A Practical Guide to Finding, Hiring, and Keeping Personal Care Attendants, by June Price
-- Home Health Aides: How to Manage the People Who Help You, by Alfred H. DeGraff

Home Health Care Agencies in the Muncie Area

 (BSU students tend to use one of the first three agencies listed.  These agencies work regularly with BSU students. Other agencies in the Muncie area are listed as well.)

Advantage Home Health Care 
4008 N. Wheeling 
Muncie, IN 47304 
765-284-1211

Help at Home                                      
2805 N. Oakwood               
Muncie, IN 47304           
765-254-1391

New Hope Home Care, Inc.                 
3304 N. Reserve St.             
Muncie, IN 47304           
765-289-7740

CJ's Abundant Care
523 W. Plum St.
Anderson, IN 46017
765-378-4600

1^st Call Home Health & Hospice
16969  N SR 3 N
Eaton, IN 47338
765-284-4445            

Gentiva Health Services
2801 N. Oakwood
Muncie, IN 47304
765-286-1519

Indiana Homecare Network LLC           
3320 S. Main St.,
Lakeside Building, Suite E.           
Anderson, IN 46013           
765-640-4500

Katie's Key to Care
8420 W. Smith St.
Yorktown, IN 47396
765-759-7050

Saint John's Home Care Services
2015 Jackson St.
Anderson, IN 46016
765-646-8179

Sincere Care Inc. Home Health
9618 W CR 400 N
Shirley, IN 47384
765-779-4777