Home Health Aides

Various types of assistance are available:

• Housekeeping assistance: cleaning, ironing, grocery shopping, meal preparation.
• Personal care aides: These professionals are trained to assist patients with activities of daily living, such as personal hygiene, eating, and dressing.

Personal care services are booming, whether in the nonprofit sector or the for-profit private sector.

It is important to distinguish between service providers (the nonprofit manages the entire case) and agent organizations (the patient manages the salary and time off).

Funding for personal care varies depending on the patient’s age.

Patients under the age of 60

For people under 60, these services are fee-based. There is no regular coverage except for recipients of the Category 3 Disability Pension and the Disability Compensation Benefit (P.C.H.).

One-time assistance

If the patient does not receive the PCH or a third-category disability pension, one-time assistance may be requested from:

• The Cancer League in the patient’s area (there is one committee per department)
• Social Security, through its extra-legal benefits
• The Horizon Cancer Association

The amount of assistance varies: up to 600 euros. Applications are limited to one per year. In all cases, a social worker must review the application. This includes proof of income and expenses, a medical certificate for the Ligue contre le Cancer, a social assessment, and, if applicable, a cost estimate. After the organization reviews the application, the financial assistance, if approved, is paid directly to the patient or the organization.

Health Insurance Plans

Some health insurance plans provide assistance following hospitalization. They offer home care, most often in the form of housekeeping help. This assistance is time-limited: often 15 days.

Family Allowance Fund (CAF)

If the patient has dependent children under the age of 14, the Family Allowance Fund (CAF) may provide assistance. The cost to the patient will depend on their family income quotient. Additional assistance may be requested from the organizations listed above.

Disability Compensation Benefit

Patients may apply to the Departmental Office for People with Disabilities (MDPH) for a disability compensation benefit. This benefit is paid by the General Council in the patient’s area. It provides personal and technical assistance if the patient has lost their independence. This financial benefit is paid monthly. The case is reviewed once a year. The application includes a medical certificate, an assessment of the patient’s needs, and an application form available at city hall or from the MDPH.

Third-Category Disability Pension

Social security beneficiaries eligible for the Category 3 disability pension receive a supplement to their pension. This amount allows them to pay for home care, usually on a partial basis.

Patients over the age of 60

The Personalized Autonomy Allowance (A.P.A.)

The purpose of the APA is to enable individuals over the age of 60 to pay for home care. This allowance is paid by the departmental councils. It is not recoverable from the estate.

The application package, consisting of a medical certificate and proof of the individual’s income, can be obtained at the local town hall or from the local social services office. The application must be sent as soon as possible by certified mail to the departmental council responsible for the patient’s area. APA payments do not begin until the date the applicant is notified that their benefits have been approved, not on the date the application is submitted.

The amount of the APA is calculated based on the patient’s loss of autonomy and their financial resources.

One-Time Assistance

Pending the implementation of the APA, depending on the patient’s income, it is possible to apply for one-time assistance from:

• The League Against Cancer
• Social Security,
• Horizon Cancer.

Private health insurance providers

Some private health insurance plans provide coverage after hospitalization. They offer in-home assistance, most often in the form of housekeeping help. Coverage is limited in duration—often to 15 days. The patient pays nothing.