Nursing homes, hospitals, and other facilities often house people who’d benefit from a transfer to a home or community-based living arrangement. If you or a loved one is in this position, My Place Louisiana could be a lifeline. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the My Place Louisiana program and cover benefits, eligibility, enrollment steps, and more. By the end, you’ll know whether this solution might be a good fit.
What is My Place Louisiana?
Let’s start with a quick overview of My Place Louisiana for those who are new to it. The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) established the program to help people transition safely from institutions/facilities into more appropriate settings that better support their well-being.
The program works by reallocating funds from eligible individuals’ facility care and applying them to transitional services.
My Place Louisiana Benefits
You understand what My Place Louisiana is – a transition coordination service to help you get into a better living situation. But what benefits can you expect if you were a program beneficiary?
The first thing to understand is that your My Place Louisiana benefits depend heavily on your individual needs and the office that manages your LA Medicaid waiver. The program is for those with waivers from the Office of Aging and Adult Services (OAAS) or the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (OCDD).
Here are some common benefits for OAAS waiver beneficiaries:
- Transition planning
- Service coordination
- Housing assistance
- Resource sharing
- Post-move visits/check-ins and maintenance
- Advocacy supports
- And more.
Those who hold an OCDD waiver can expect the following My Place Louisiana benefits:
- Community living training and assistance
- Direct support workforce specialization training
- Family communication (facilitated)
- Post-move visits
- And more.
Who is Eligible for Louisiana My Place?
Could you or a loved one be eligible for Louisiana My Place? Qualifying for an OCDD or OAAS waiver is just part of the equation. Here’s a full list of requirements you must meet to qualify:
- You qualify for Medicaid.
- You have been living in a qualifying facility (nursing facility, hospital, or intermediate facility) for the last 60 days.
- You qualify for home and community-based services.
- You qualify for an applicable waiver – OCDD or OAAS.
You won’t be eligible for this program if you don’t meet all of the criteria.
How to Enroll in My Place Louisiana
There are a couple of routes you can take to apply for My Place Louisiana, again depending on your waiver. If you have an OAAS waiver, call the OAAS hotline at 866-758-5035 and choose option 5. You can also email Andrea Cressionnie at Andrea.Cressionnie@la.gov or fill out this form.
OCDD waiver holders should contact the My Place Program Manager, Scott Tuma, by email at OCDD.MFP@la.gov or call (225) 342-0095.
How Support Coordination Can Help
The road to your benefits may not be straight. You may need some assistance to get over the humps and bumps. Support coordination professionals are standing by to help you with any My Place Louisiana questions, issues, or concerns. They have the resources and capabilities to make your transition much easier.