Blunt brings in-home care under one state agency

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Matt Blunt on Friday said he has put in-home services for the elderly and disabled under one roof, but agencies say clients should not notice a difference.

Previously, the state provided such services through three agencies: Health and Senior Services, Elementary and Secondary Education, and Social Services. Now, the services all will be provided through the state's health agency.

Blunt also has proposed spending $65 million to increase in-home care workers' salary by $2 an hour. He said both moves should help seniors stay in their homes longer, making their lives better and saving the state in the long run by delaying moves by Medicaid patients into expensive nursing homes.

"Even the best nursing home in the state, most seniors would prefer to stay in their home. That's what this is about," he said.

Blunt said in-home care costs about $6,000 a year per patient, while nursing home care can cost more than $35,000 annually.

Simply transferring the services to one agency probably won't immediately save a lot of money, Blunt said, but it will help the state better focus on and improve in-home care.

The health department already provides in-home services to about 50,000 elderly and disabled people on tasks such as getting dressed and preparing meals.

Blunt already signed the executive order making the change, but it won't go into effect until the new fiscal year begins July 1, said Nancie McAnaugh, head of the health agency's Division of Senior Services. Clients should not notice the change.

"We don't want there to be any break in service for those people," she said.

Under the current structure, the Social Services Department handled only the Medicaid payments to providers for people served through the health department.