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SPOTLIGHT: CHC Benefits That Help You Stay Safe at Home

Pamela Putnam Silver

If you get services through the Community HealthChoices (CHC) waiver, you probably know the waiver can help with personal care services. But did you know CHC offers benefits that can make your home safer and more livable? CHC can pay for permanent changes that make your home more accessible and safe, including walk-in showers, grab bars, wheelchair ramps, wider doorways, and slip-resistant flooring.

Here are some CHC benefits you might not know about: 

  • Home Adaptations — If your home isn't set up for your physical needs, this can be a major barrier to remaining independent and safe in your home. CHC can pay for permanent changes to make your home more accessible and faciliate activities of daily living (ADLs) like showering and meal prep.  These include walk-in showers, grab bars, wheelchair ramps, wider doorways, and slip-resistant flooring. To get started, ask your service coordinator to add home adaptations to your service plan. If you rent, your landlord will need to give permission — and they can't raise your rent because of the changes.
     
  • Home Accessibility Durable Medical Equipment (HADME) — Pennsylvania Medicaid also covers removable equipment like wheelchair lifts, stair glides, and ceiling lifts to help you get around your home safely. Ask your service coordinator about adding this to your service plan.
     
  • Personal Assistance Services (PAS) — PAS is one of CHC's most popular services. Beyond help with bathing, dressing, and other daily activities, PAS workers can also help you with light housekeeping (dishes, sweeping, vacuuming, laundry), paying bills and managing finances, and filling out paperwork to keep benefits like housing assistance and food stamps. Make sure your service coordinator knows about these needs so enough PAS hours are built into your plan.
     
  • Chore Services — While PAS includes help with light housekeeping and laundry, it doesn’t include deep cleaning or support with decluttering.  Chore Services were added to the CHC waiver in 2025 to address this gap and help with more labor-intensive household chores not covered by PAS. Under this newer benefit, CHC can cover deep cleaning like washing floors, walls, and windows, moving heavy furniture, and fixing tripping hazards like loose rugs. If you have a hoarding disorder, you may also be able to get help with more intensive help like cleaning attics and basements, sorting, packing, and removing belongings, dumpster rental, and waste disposal.  These more expanded chore services are only available if you are getting or have a referral for behavioral health services. Talk to your service coordinator to learn more about Chore Services.
     
  • Pest Control/Eradication — An infestation of mice, bedbugs or other pests can seriously impact your health and the habitability of your housing. What’s more, a pest infestation could undermine your ability to access other in-home services like PAS or nursing. CHC can cover pest removal in your home, either as a one-time service or on an ongoing basis if there's a risk the problem will come back. If you rent, the CHC Plan will first check whether your landlord is responsible for pest control. Ask your service coordinator to add this to your service plan.
     
  • Employment Supports - If you struggle with housing costs, adding an income stream through employment is one way to improve your housing stability by making it easier to afford housing. CHC offers several employment-related supports, including employment skills development, job coaching, career assessments to help identify potential career options, help finding job opportunities, and benefits counseling so you understand how a job might affect your Medicaid or SSI. Talk to your service coordinator about your employment goals to get started. Note that you  generally need to first attempt to use employment services provided by Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) before getting employment supports from CHC. If you are not already connected with OVR, your service coordinator can refer you to OVR for an evaluation.
     
  • Assistive Technology — The CHC Waiver covers a wide range of assistive technology that can make a home safer and more accessible, including "smart home" technology that helps you control lights, appliances, phones, and doors — including systems that let you see who's at your door and unlock it remotely.
     
  • Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy (CRT) — If you have a brain injury or cognitive differences that make it hard to stay on top of maintaining your housing, such as paying bills, keeping up with paperwork, or daily organization, Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy provides counseling and coaching to help you build skills and learn strategies to manage these tasks.

 

If you have questions or problems accessing adaptations needed to keep your home safe and accessible, contact your CHC service coordinator, or call PHLP's helpline at 1-800-274-3258.