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What Is the Dementia Waiver in California?
Date Updated: January 3, 2025
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Sarah has produced thousands of articles in diverse niches over her decade-long career as a full-time freelance writer. This includes substantial content in the fields of senior care and health care. She has experience writing about wide-ranging topics, such as types of care, care costs, funding options, state Medicaid programs and senior resources.
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Kristi Bickmann, a licensed Long-Term Care Specialist, represents top-rated "Traditional" & "Hybrid" LTC companies. Serving associations such as the American Nurses Association, she's a licensed insurance agent in 27 states. Specializing in insurance products for seniors, Kristi helps hundreds of families every year protect assets, retirement, and loved ones. She understands aging concerns firsthand, having assisted her own parents. Kristi ensures accuracy on topics about senior long-term care and its consequences.
The dementia waiver in California is a financial assistance program designed to help qualifying individuals pay for long-term care in a community setting. This waiver, officially called the Assisted Living Waiver, falls under the state’s Medicaid program. It includes people impacted by dementia.
Overview of California’s Assisted Living Waiver for People With Dementia
Medi-Cal’s Assisted Living Waiver program pays for care services for qualifying older adults, allowing them to remain in a community setting. Rather than moving to a nursing facility, individuals may receive in-home aide support that enables them to live safely at home, or they might reside in a residential care facility, such as an assisted living community or memory care neighborhood.
However, the waiver doesn’t operate as an entitlement program, and eligible applicants must usually still join a waiting list.
Services Covered by California’s Dementia Waiver
Public funding covers diverse services geared toward supporting senior safety, well-being and independence. For those impacted by dementia, waiver-covered services include:
- Help with personal care and activities of daily living
- Housekeeping, laundry and property maintenance
- Medical transportation
- Supervision
- Specialized social, leisure and wellness activities
However, waivers don’t cover the costs of bed and board; seniors must pay for these aspects using private resources, such as:
- Income and savings
- VA benefits
- Long-term care insurance
- Reverse mortgages
California's ALW Eligibility Conditions
To qualify for the waiver, seniors must be at least 65 or have a disability. Financial limits set out by the state’s regular Medicaid program apply; the monthly income cap stands at $1,732 in 2024, and no asset limit exists. Individuals must also have functional care needs that would necessitate nursing home care if they had no other appropriate support.
Additionally, the waiver only operates in some places. However, those residing outside the service area may consider moving to a Medicaid-certified facility in one of the following counties:
- Alameda
- Contra Costa
- Fresno
- Kern
- Los Angeles
- Orange
- Riverside
- Sacramento
- San Bernardino
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Joaquin
- San Mateo
- Santa Clara
- Sonoma