Your medical needs
Are you worried that you may not be able to use the phone to call for help if something happens when you are alone? Do you need help with your medical needs or do you need therapy?
About your medical needs
DADS can offer help with the following types of medical needs:
Emergency help
It is important to be able to get emergency help when you need it even if you can't get to a phone. DADS offers a service that lets you use a button to call for help in an emergency. This is for people who are alone eight or more hours a day.
Medical supplies and equipment
To stay healthy, you may need to take medicine and vitamins. You may also need to wear glasses, dentures or hearing aids. DADS can help you pay for these things.
Some people need items to help them stay independent. These may include:
- Reachers to grab items
- Communication boards
- Scooters or wheelchairs
Nursing services
You may be able to get a licensed nurse to come to your home to check your health conditions. A nurse can:
- Take your blood pressure
- Check your blood sugar
- Give you your medicine
- Help you find other medical services
- Train you or someone you trust to help you with these things
Therapy
DADS can help you get different kinds of therapy. Before you start therapy, someone will:
- Figure out what you need
- Make a plan for you
- Provide training
- Help you choose and buy adaptive aids
- Talk with your family and others who help you
Where to call to receive DADS services and supports
To learn more
Fact sheets about DADS programs that can help with medical services:
- Area Agencies on Aging (AAA)
- Community Attendant Services (CAS)
- Community Based Alternatives (CBA)
- Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS)
- Consumer-Managed Personal Attendant Services (CMPAS)
- Day Activity and Health Services (DAHS)
- Deaf Blind with Multiple Disabilities (DBMD)
- Emergency Response Services (ERS)
- Family Care (FC)
- Home and Community–based Services (HCS)
- Home-delivered Meals (HDM)
- In-Home and Family Support Program (IHFSP)
- Medically Dependent Children Program (MDCP)
- Primary Home Care (PHC)
- Special Services to Persons with Disabilities (SSPD)
- Special Services to Persons with Disabilities 24-hour Shared Attendant (SSPD-SAC)
- Texas Home Living (TxHmL)
Other resources
- 211 Texas can provide information about local, state or federal services.
- Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) — The ADRCs provide information about and help with state and federal benefits. They can also help you learn about local programs and services. Anyone — individuals, family members, friends or professionals — can receive information tailored to their needs.
- Consumer Directed Services — If you want more control over who works for you in your own home, you can choose either Consumer Directed Services (CDS) or the Service Responsibility Option (SRO). You can only use CDS or SRO in some DADS programs.
- Medicaid Estate Recovery Program — The state may file a claim against the estate of a deceased Medicaid recipient, age 55 and older, who applied for certain long-term care services on or after March 1, 2005. Claims include the cost of services, hospital care and prescription drugs supported by Medicaid under certain programs.
- Medicare Prescription Drug Program website covers the basics of this federal program — what it is, who can get it when you can get it, how you can get it and why you should get it.
- Searchable list of home health agencies website allows you to search for home health care by city, county, area code or ZIP code.
- Yourtexasbenefits.com — This website offers you easy and secure online access to Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) benefits including Medicaid, SNAP food benefits, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and nursing home care and other services for people who are elderly or have disabilities.
Updated: November 20, 2012