Michigan Medicaid Home Care and Trinity Home Assistance FAQs
Michigan Medicaid Home Care and Trinity Home Assistance FAQs
A Family Looking for One Clear Place to Start
When Linda’s father began needing help with bathing, meals, laundry, and getting safely out of bed, every phone call seemed to introduce a new term.
One person mentioned Medicaid Home Help. Another mentioned a waiver. Someone else told Linda that she might be able to become her father’s caregiver, but no one explained what had to happen first.
“I knew my dad needed help, but I did not know which program applied or who made the decisions,” Linda said.
Once the family understood that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services determines Home Help eligibility and authorized tasks, the process felt more manageable. They could focus on the next step instead of trying to understand every Michigan Medicaid program at once.
This FAQ is designed to give families that same starting point. Program rules and individual eligibility can change, so families should confirm current information with MDHHS, the applicable Medicaid program, and Trinity Home Assistance.
About Trinity Home Assistance
What is Trinity Home Assistance?
Where does Trinity Home Assistance provide care?
Trinity Home Assistance serves families throughout Metro Detroit, with a focus on communities in Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland counties.
Primary service areas include:
Warren, Sterling Heights, Southfield, St. Clair Shores, Mount Clemens, Macomb, Madison Heights, Clinton Township, Utica, and Farmington Hills.
Families in nearby communities should contact Trinity to confirm current service and caregiver availability.
What services does Trinity Home Assistance provide?
Trinity Home Assistance provides nonmedical in-home support based on the member’s needs, eligibility, and authorization. Services include:
- Senior home care
- Personal care at home
- Companion-style interaction during authorized care
- Alzheimer’s and dementia care
- Family caregiver support
- Homemaker services
- Michigan Medicaid Home Help services
Medicaid-funded services must remain within the tasks approved by MDHHS.
Does Trinity Home Assistance determine whether someone qualifies for Medicaid?
No. Trinity Home Assistance does not approve Medicaid, determine Home Help eligibility, or decide how many hours a member receives.
MDHHS determines eligibility and authorized services. Trinity provides care after the necessary member, caregiver, agency, and Medicaid requirements are complete.
Does Trinity guarantee that Medicaid will pay for care?
No. Medicaid coverage depends on the person’s eligibility, functional needs, approved program, authorized tasks, caregiver enrollment, and other requirements.
Trinity can explain its services and help families understand the agency process, but it cannot guarantee approval, hours, payment, or continued eligibility.
Does Trinity provide medical or skilled nursing care?
Trinity’s listed services are focused on nonmedical personal care and everyday support at home.
Personal care caregivers do not diagnose conditions, prescribe medication, change medical treatments, or replace physicians, nurses, therapists, or emergency services.
Families should ask Trinity directly whether a specific need is within the agency’s permitted scope.
How do I contact Trinity Home Assistance?
Families can contact us to share basic information about their needs.
When contacting the agency, explain:
- Who needs care
- Where the person lives
- Whether the person has active Medicaid
- Whether Home Help has already been approved
- Which daily activities are difficult
- Whether a family member or trusted person already provides care
Avoid sending detailed medical or Medicaid information through an unsecured form.
Michigan Medicaid Home Help Basics
What is Michigan Medicaid Home Help?
What is the purpose of the Home Help program?
Home Help is intended to help eligible Medicaid members live at home instead of moving to an adult foster care home, home for the aged, or nursing facility.
The program focuses on physical assistance with approved activities of daily living and certain household activities.
Is Home Help the same as Medicare home health care?
No.
Michigan Home Help is a Medicaid personal care program. It generally supports eligible members who need hands-on help with everyday activities.
Medicare home health is a separate federal benefit that may cover limited skilled nursing, therapy, or other qualifying clinical services under specific conditions.
A person may have both Medicare and Medicaid, but Medicare alone does not qualify someone for Medicaid Home Help.
Is Michigan Home Help available through every Medicaid plan?
Michigan’s public Home Help information states that assistance is available to people who are eligible for Medicaid Fee for Service and meet the functional requirements. Because Medicaid coverage arrangements can vary, applicants should ask MDHHS how their current coverage affects Home Help eligibility.
Can someone receive Home Help if their income is above the usual Medicaid limit?
Possibly. Michigan states that people with personal care needs whose income exceeds standard Medicaid eligibility levels may still qualify in some circumstances through Medicaid deductible rules.
The person should contact the Adult Services unit at the local MDHHS office and ask about Home Help for individuals with a deductible.
Can someone receive Home Help while living in assisted living or a nursing facility?
Home Help is designed for people living in an eligible personal residence.
It is not intended to pay for care already included in a nursing facility, adult foster care home, or home for the aged. Applicants should ask MDHHS whether their specific living arrangement qualifies.
MI Coordinated Health and HIDE D-SNP FAQs
What is MI Coordinated Health?
MI Coordinated Health, also called MICH, is Michigan’s Highly Integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan program. It is designed for qualifying people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. MICH coordinates Medicare, most Medicaid benefits, and certain long-term services and supports through participating health plans. (MDHHS)
Can MI Coordinated Health help pay for home care?
Yes, qualifying MICH members may receive authorized personal care and other long-term services and supports through their HIDE D-SNP. Coverage depends on the member’s assessment, care plan, health plan, provider network, and authorization. (Michigan.gov)
Can I receive Michigan Home Help and HIDE D-SNP personal care at the same time?
No. Michigan policy states that people enrolled in MI Coordinated Health who receive personal care through their HIDE D-SNP cannot concurrently receive personal care through Michigan Home Help. (Michigan DHHS)
Does Trinity Home Assistance accept HIDE D-SNP clients?
Trinity Home Assistance is open to serving eligible clients whose MI Coordinated Health HIDE D-SNP authorizes services through Trinity, subject to plan participation, authorization, and agency availability.
Does Trinity accept private-pay clients?
Yes. Trinity Home Assistance is open to private-pay clients. Private pay may be appropriate for people who are not eligible for Medicaid-funded home care, want additional caregiver hours, or prefer to arrange services directly.
Can private pay be used for services Medicaid does not cover?
Potentially, yes. Families may choose to privately pay for services or additional care that are outside a Medicaid or health plan authorization, provided Trinity offers the requested service and can safely meet the client’s needs.
Home Help Eligibility and Assessment
Who may qualify for Michigan Home Help?
A person generally must:
- Have applicable active Medicaid
- Live in an eligible home setting
- Have a documented medical need
- Require physical assistance with at least one activity of daily living
- Complete an MDHHS assessment
- Receive authorization for specific tasks
MDHHS makes the final eligibility decision.
What are activities of daily living?
Activities of daily living, often called ADLs, are basic personal care activities.
Michigan Home Help identifies ADLs such as:
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Eating
- Grooming
- Mobility
- Toileting
- Transferring between positions or surfaces
A person generally must need hands-on help with at least one qualifying ADL.
What are instrumental activities of daily living?
Instrumental activities of daily living, often called IADLs, are household tasks that support everyday life.
They may include:
- Meal preparation and cleanup
- Laundry
- Light housework
- Shopping for essential items
- Certain medication setup or administration tasks
IADLs may be authorized when the person meets the broader Home Help requirements.
Does a diagnosis automatically qualify someone?
No. A diagnosis of arthritis, stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or another condition does not automatically establish Home Help eligibility.
MDHHS considers how the condition affects the person’s ability to complete covered daily activities and whether physical assistance is required.
Can someone qualify because they need reminders or supervision?
Not by that need alone.
Michigan Home Help does not cover prompting, reminders, or general supervision as stand-alone services. The applicant must meet the program’s requirements for hands-on assistance with covered activities.
Who completes the Home Help assessment?
An MDHHS adult services worker completes an in-home assessment.
The worker reviews the applicant’s Medicaid status, medical need, functional abilities, living situation, available help, and need for physical assistance.
What happens during the in-home assessment?
The adult services worker may ask the person to describe or demonstrate how they complete daily activities.
The assessment may consider whether the applicant can:
- Get into and out of a bath or shower
- Dress and undress
- Prepare and eat meals
- Walk through the home
- Transfer from a bed or chair
- Use the toilet
- Complete essential household tasks
- Manage medication-related activities
Families should describe both what the person can do independently and where physical help is needed.
Should a family member attend the assessment?
A trusted family member or representative may be helpful when the applicant has difficulty remembering details, communicating, or explaining daily limitations.
The applicant should ask the adult services worker whether and how another person may participate.
What medical information is needed?
MDHHS may require medical certification from an accepted health care provider using the applicable state process or form.
Medical certification supports the application, but the adult services assessment and Medicaid requirements determine whether Home Help is approved.
How are Home Help hours determined?
MDHHS determines the authorized amount of assistance based on the assessment, covered tasks, program policy, and the time reasonably associated with approved needs.
Trinity Home Assistance does not set the member’s Medicaid hours.
Can authorized services change?
Yes. Services may change when the member’s health, abilities, living situation, informal support, Medicaid status, or care needs change.
Members and families should report significant changes to the appropriate MDHHS worker and Trinity Home Assistance.
What should I do if Home Help is denied or reduced?
Read the written notice carefully. It should explain the decision and any hearing or appeal rights.
Contact the assigned MDHHS worker promptly if information is missing or circumstances have changed. Pay close attention to the deadline stated in the notice.
Trinity Home Assistance cannot reverse an MDHHS decision or provide legal advice.
Services That May Be Covered
Does Home Help cover bathing assistance?
Yes, when bathing assistance is authorized.
A caregiver may provide physical help with getting into or out of the bathing area, washing, rinsing, drying, and related personal care steps included in the member’s plan.
Does Home Help cover dressing and grooming?
Authorized personal care may include physical assistance with dressing, undressing, buttons, fasteners, shoes, hair care, oral hygiene, shaving, and other approved grooming activities.
Does Home Help cover toileting and incontinence care?
Physical assistance with toileting may be covered when authorized.
This may include help reaching the toilet, managing clothing, transferring, completing hygiene, or using approved toileting equipment.
Does Home Help cover mobility and transfers?
Yes, when the member is authorized for physical assistance with mobility or transfers.
This may include hands-on help walking within the home or moving between a bed, chair, toilet, or other approved surface.
Does Home Help cover eating or feeding assistance?
Physical assistance with eating may be covered when authorized.
This may include cutting food, positioning items, using utensils, or physically assisting the person to eat.
Does Home Help cover meal preparation?
Meal preparation and cleanup may be authorized as an instrumental activity of daily living for a qualifying member.
The caregiver may prepare simple meals and clean the immediate meal area according to the approved plan.
Does Home Help cover laundry?
Laundry may be covered when authorized for the Medicaid member.
This may include washing essential clothing and bedding, drying, folding, and putting items in their usual location.
It is not general laundry service for everyone in the household.
Does Home Help cover house cleaning?
Home Help may authorize specific light housework connected to the member’s daily care.
It does not cover heavy housework, deep cleaning, home repairs, or yard work.
Does Home Help cover grocery shopping?
Shopping for food, medication, and other essential items may be authorized.
The approved task does not automatically include recreational shopping, unrelated errands, or general transportation.
Does Home Help cover medication assistance?
Certain medication setup or administration activities may be authorized as IADLs.
The caregiver’s role must remain within the member’s authorization, agency policy, training, and applicable law. Medication reminders or prompting are not covered as stand-alone Home Help services.
Does Home Help cover transportation?
General transportation is not a covered Home Help service.
Michigan may address travel time related to certain approved shopping or laundry tasks, but that is not the same as providing transportation for appointments, social activities, or general errands.
Does Home Help pay for companionship?
Companionship is not covered as a stand-alone Home Help service.
A caregiver may talk with the member and provide friendly interaction while completing authorized personal care or homemaker tasks. Medicaid payment must remain connected to the approved task.
Does Home Help pay for someone to stay overnight?
Home Help does not automatically cover an overnight presence, general monitoring, or supervision.
Any Medicaid-funded time must be based on specific authorized tasks. Families needing continuous or overnight monitoring should ask MDHHS or an aging resource organization about other possible programs.
Does Home Help cover 24-hour care?
Home Help is not automatically a 24-hour care program.
The amount of assistance depends on the individual authorization. A need for continuous supervision does not by itself make around-the-clock care covered.
Does Home Help pay for care provided to other household members?
No. Medicaid-funded services are for the approved member.
A caregiver should not document cleaning, cooking, laundry, or errands primarily performed for other people as the member’s Home Help service.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care
Can a person with Alzheimer’s disease qualify for Home Help?
Yes, a person living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia may qualify if they meet Medicaid and Home Help requirements and need physical assistance with covered daily activities.
The diagnosis alone does not guarantee approval.
Does Medicaid Home Help pay for dementia supervision?
General supervision, monitoring, cueing, and reminders are not covered as stand-alone Home Help services.
The program may cover physical assistance with authorized tasks such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, mobility, transfers, meals, and laundry.
What dementia support can Trinity provide?
Trinity caregivers may provide authorized personal care and homemaker assistance using a calm, patient, and respectful approach.
Care may include:
- Following familiar routines
- Using simple explanations
- Allowing additional time
- Offering manageable choices
- Providing authorized hands-on assistance
- Watching for changes that should be reported
Can a dementia caregiver provide reminders while completing another task?
A caregiver may naturally explain steps or redirect attention while safely completing an authorized activity.
However, prompting or reminders alone cannot be treated as a separate Medicaid-covered Home Help service.
Family Caregivers and Paid Caregiving
Can a family member be paid to provide care?
An eligible adult relative may be able to receive payment for authorized Home Help services when:
- The person receiving care qualifies
- The relative is chosen as the caregiver
- The caregiver meets program requirements
- Required enrollment and screening are complete
- The services are authorized and properly verified
Michigan allows qualifying members to choose an eligible relative, friend, neighbor, individual caregiver, or agency arrangement.
Can an adult child be paid to care for a parent?
An adult child may be eligible to provide authorized Home Help services for a qualifying parent.
The parent must be approved for Home Help, and the adult child must complete all applicable caregiver and agency requirements.
Can a sibling, grandchild, friend, or neighbor be paid?
Potentially, yes.
An eligible adult sibling, grandchild, other relative, friend, or neighbor may be considered if the member chooses that person and the individual meets enrollment, screening, and program requirements.
Can a spouse be paid to care for a spouse?
Michigan Home Help does not allow a spouse to be paid through the program to provide care for a spouse.
Can a parent be paid to care for a child?
A parent cannot be paid through Michigan Home Help to care for a minor child.
Different Medicaid programs may exist for children with significant medical or developmental needs, so families should contact MDHHS to ask which program applies.
Does a family caregiver have to live with the Medicaid member?
Not necessarily. The caregiver’s living arrangement is only one part of the situation.
The member must qualify, choose the caregiver, and receive authorization for covered services. The caregiver must also satisfy applicable enrollment and agency requirements.
Does Medicaid pay a family caregiver simply for being available?
No. Payment is for authorized services that are actually provided and properly recorded.
Medicaid does not pay a caregiver merely because the caregiver lives in the home, is related to the member, or remains available for emergencies.
Can a family caregiver be paid for companionship?
No. Companionship, social visits, general supervision, prompting, and reminders are not covered as stand-alone Home Help services.
Friendly interaction may occur while the caregiver completes approved personal care or homemaker tasks.
Can a current individual caregiver begin working through Trinity?
Possibly, but not automatically.
The caregiver should disclose any current or previous Home Help enrollment and whether they already serve the same member independently. Michigan transition rules, agency requirements, and enrollment status may affect whether and when the arrangement can change.
Does Trinity guarantee employment to a family caregiver?
No. Prospective caregivers must satisfy all applicable employment, screening, enrollment, training, availability, and program requirements.
Trinity must also determine whether the arrangement is appropriate and permitted.
Will Trinity train a family caregiver?
Trinity should explain the agency’s orientation, documentation, service verification, safety, and job requirements during onboarding.
The exact training required may depend on the caregiver’s role and the member’s authorized needs.
CHAMPS, Screening, and Caregiver Enrollment
What is CHAMPS?
CHAMPS stands for the Community Health Automated Medicaid Processing System.
Michigan uses CHAMPS for Medicaid provider enrollment and related functions. Home Help caregivers must complete the applicable enrollment requirements before receiving Medicaid payment.
Does every Home Help caregiver need CHAMPS enrollment?
A paid Home Help caregiver must satisfy Michigan Medicaid provider enrollment requirements.
The exact process depends on whether the caregiver enrolls independently or associates with an approved Home Help agency.
Is submitting a CHAMPS application the same as approval?
No. Submitting information does not mean the caregiver is approved.
Paid services should not begin until all required enrollment, screening, agency, member, and authorization steps are complete.
Is a criminal background check required?
Michigan requires Home Help providers to undergo criminal history screening before payment.
A screening result may affect whether an individual can participate or work through an agency.
Can a caregiver start working while enrollment is pending?
A caregiver should not assume that pending enrollment allows Medicaid-funded work to begin.
Trinity must confirm that all required approvals are in place before establishing a paid agency start date.
Does a caregiver have to renew or update CHAMPS enrollment?
Caregivers must keep enrollment information current and complete required revalidation or updates when directed by Michigan Medicaid.
Changes in name, address, contact information, agency association, or other enrollment details should be reported through the proper process.
Electronic Visit Verification and Documentation
What is Electronic Visit Verification?
Electronic Visit Verification, often called EVV, is a system used to verify information about certain home and community-based service visits.
It may record information such as the person receiving care, the caregiver, the service, the date, the time, and the service location.
Does Trinity use EVV?
Home Help agency caregivers must follow the applicable Michigan Medicaid and Trinity service verification requirements.
Trinity will explain the required system and procedures during caregiver onboarding.
What should caregivers document?
Caregivers should accurately document:
- The member who received care
- The date of service
- The start and end time
- The authorized tasks completed
- Required verification information
- Relevant changes or concerns reported according to agency policy
Can a caregiver record a task that was not completed?
No.
Caregivers must not record services they did not provide, inflate time, claim noncovered tasks, or report work performed primarily for another household member.
What happens if the member is hospitalized or away from home?
The caregiver should notify Trinity promptly.
Medicaid-funded Home Help services generally cannot be documented as though they occurred at home when the member was hospitalized, admitted to another setting, or unavailable for care.
What should a caregiver do if the member refuses a task?
The caregiver should not force care.
Follow Trinity’s reporting and documentation procedures. Repeated refusal, changes in behavior, or declining abilities may need to be reported to the family, agency, or MDHHS worker as appropriate.
Other Michigan Medicaid and Long-Term Care Programs
Is Home Help the only Michigan Medicaid program for receiving care at home?
No. Michigan has several Medicaid-funded or publicly supported long-term services and supports programs.
Michigan’s Home and Community-Based Services comparison materials identify options that may include Home Help, MI Choice, PACE, MI Coordinated Health, and Dual Special Needs Plans. Program eligibility, benefits, service areas, and enrollment processes differ.
What is the MI Choice Waiver?
MI Choice is a Michigan Medicaid home and community-based services waiver for eligible adults who meet nursing facility level-of-care criteria but can receive services in a home or approved community setting.
Depending on the participant’s plan, MI Choice may offer services beyond standard Home Help, such as supports coordination, respite, community transportation, home-delivered meals, personal emergency response systems, and certain home modifications.
Is Trinity Home Assistance a MI Choice provider?
Families should not assume that Trinity participates in MI Choice unless the agency and the applicable waiver organization confirm current participation.
Trinity’s primary website messaging focuses on in-home personal care and Home Help services. Contact Trinity and the local MI Choice waiver agency before selecting a provider.
What is PACE in Michigan?
PACE stands for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.
PACE coordinates medical care, long-term services, and other supports for eligible older adults through an interdisciplinary care team. The service package includes Medicare and Medicaid-covered services and other care the team determines necessary.
PACE is available only in participating service areas and has its own eligibility and enrollment requirements.
Can someone receive both PACE and Home Help through Trinity?
Program enrollment rules determine which services can be received at the same time.
A person enrolled in PACE should discuss outside home care with the PACE organization before arranging services. Trinity should also verify that it is permitted and authorized to provide the requested care.
What is a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan?
A Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan, often called a D-SNP, is a Medicare Advantage plan designed for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid.
A D-SNP is not the same as Michigan Home Help. Covered benefits, provider networks, care coordination, and long-term care arrangements vary by plan.
What is MI Coordinated Health?
MI Coordinated Health is one of the options Michigan identifies in its home and community-based services comparison materials.
Because program names, service areas, and enrollment arrangements may change, families should review current MDHHS information before deciding which option applies.
What is the Healthy Michigan Plan?
The Healthy Michigan Plan is a Michigan Medicaid health coverage program for qualifying adults.
Having Medicaid coverage through the Healthy Michigan Plan does not automatically mean Home Help is approved. The person must still meet the Home Help program’s coverage and functional requirements.
What is the Habilitation Supports Waiver?
The Habilitation Supports Waiver is a Michigan Medicaid waiver serving certain people with intellectual or developmental disabilities who meet program requirements.
It is different from Home Help and MI Choice. Applicants should contact their local community mental health services program for current eligibility and enrollment information.
What is the Children’s Waiver Program?
Michigan’s Children’s Waiver Program provides home and community-based services to certain children with developmental disabilities who meet program requirements.
It is not the same as Home Help, and enrollment is coordinated through Michigan’s behavioral health and developmental disability service system.
What is Medicaid private duty nursing?
Private duty nursing provides skilled nursing services for eligible Medicaid members who have intensive medical needs and meet specific criteria.
It is different from nonmedical personal care. Trinity caregivers do not replace private duty nurses or provide skilled nursing unless the agency separately confirms that it is licensed and authorized for that service.
How do I know which Michigan program is right for my family?
Start by identifying the primary need.
Home Help may be relevant when a Medicaid member needs hands-on assistance with personal care and approved household activities.
MI Choice may be relevant when a person meets nursing facility level-of-care requirements and needs broader home and community-based supports.
PACE may be relevant for an eligible older adult who wants an integrated program coordinating medical care and long-term services.
A child or adult with developmental disabilities may qualify through a different waiver or behavioral health system.
Contact MDHHS, the local Area Agency on Aging, or the applicable program administrator for an individual screening.
Paying for Care
Does Medicaid Home Help require private payment?
Authorized Home Help services are Medicaid-funded for eligible members.
Families should confirm whether any requested services fall outside the member’s authorization. Noncovered or additional services should never be assumed to be included.
Can Trinity provide private-pay care?
Yes, but Trinity’s primary focus for this website is Medicaid Home Help.
Families should contact the agency directly to ask whether private-pay services are currently available and which services may be purchased separately.
Can long-term care insurance pay for Trinity services?
Some long-term care insurance policies reimburse qualifying nonmedical home care.
Coverage depends on the policy’s benefit triggers, elimination period, approved provider rules, daily benefit, and documentation requirements. Contact the insurer and Trinity before beginning care.
Can veterans benefits help pay for home care?
Some veterans and surviving spouses may qualify for Department of Veterans Affairs benefits or programs that support care at home.
Eligibility depends on the specific VA benefit. Families should contact an accredited veterans service officer or the VA for guidance.
Do not pay an unaccredited person to prepare or submit a VA benefits application.
Can someone use more than one funding source?
Possibly, but services cannot be billed twice.
Families should tell Trinity about Medicaid, long-term care insurance, VA benefits, waiver services, managed care plans, and other payment sources so responsibilities can be clarified.
Caregiver Safety, Emergencies, and Changes in Condition
What should I do during a medical emergency?
Call 911 for a medical emergency.
Home care caregivers are not substitutes for emergency medical services. Examples of urgent concerns may include severe breathing difficulty, chest pain, signs of stroke, uncontrolled bleeding, loss of consciousness, or immediate danger.
Can a Trinity caregiver make medical decisions?
No. A nonmedical caregiver cannot diagnose, prescribe, or independently change the member’s medical treatment.
Caregivers should follow the authorized care plan and report concerns according to Trinity’s policies.
What happens if the member’s condition becomes more serious?
Contact Trinity and the assigned MDHHS worker when the member’s abilities or care needs change.
The member may need:
- A reassessment
- Updated medical information
- A revised Home Help authorization
- Skilled home health
- Private duty nursing
- Hospice
- A waiver program
- A higher level of care
Trinity cannot expand Medicaid-funded tasks without the necessary authorization.
Can caregivers lift or transfer someone?
A caregiver may provide authorized transfer assistance when the task is within the care plan, caregiver training, agency policy, and safe working limits.
Tell Trinity if the member needs specialized equipment, a two-person transfer, or assistance beyond what one caregiver can safely provide.
Does Trinity provide respite for family caregivers?
Trinity’s family caregiver and in-home services may reduce some of the daily workload when authorized care is in place.
However, stand-alone respite is not automatically covered through standard Home Help. Families seeking formal respite should ask whether another Medicaid waiver, aging program, or private-pay option applies.
What should I do if I am concerned about abuse, neglect, or exploitation?
Call 911 when someone is in immediate danger.
Concerns about suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult should be reported to Michigan Adult Protective Services through the state’s reporting process. Michigan’s Adults and Seniors resources include protective services and related supports.
Starting Services With Trinity Home Assistance
How do I apply for Michigan Home Help?
Contact the Adult Services unit at the local MDHHS office.
The process generally includes:
- Confirming Medicaid eligibility
- Providing required medical certification
- Completing an in-home assessment
- Receiving an eligibility and service decision
- Choosing an eligible caregiver or agency
- Completing caregiver and provider enrollment requirements
Can Trinity submit my Home Help application?
Trinity can explain its role and help families understand the general process.
MDHHS controls the application, assessment, and authorization process. Ask Trinity which forms or agency information it can assist with after the member begins working with MDHHS.
What information should I have when I call Trinity?
Be ready to share:
- The member’s city or ZIP code
- Whether Medicaid is active
- Whether an MDHHS assessment has occurred
- Whether services are already authorized
- Which daily activities require physical help
- Whether the member has chosen a caregiver
- Whether that caregiver is already enrolled in CHAMPS
- The best way to contact the family
How quickly can care begin?
The start date depends on several factors, including:
- Home Help approval
- The member’s authorization
- Caregiver selection
- CHAMPS status
- Background screening
- Agency onboarding
- Training
- Required service verification setup
- Caregiver availability
Trinity should confirm a start date only after all necessary requirements are complete.
Can the member choose the caregiver?
Michigan Home Help gives eligible members a role in choosing a qualified caregiver. The caregiver must still satisfy state and agency requirements.
Can Trinity help find a caregiver?
Trinity may be able to discuss agency caregiver options based on location, authorization, staffing, scheduling, and current availability.
Placement cannot be guaranteed.
What if the member already has a trusted caregiver?
Tell Trinity who currently provides care and whether that individual is already enrolled as a Home Help caregiver.
Trinity can explain whether the person may be considered for agency employment and which steps would be required.
Can the family change caregivers?
Members should discuss caregiver concerns or requested changes with Trinity and the assigned MDHHS worker.
A replacement caregiver must satisfy applicable screening, enrollment, authorization, and agency requirements before providing paid care.
What happens if a caregiver misses a visit?
Contact Trinity as soon as possible.
The agency can explain its absence reporting and replacement procedures. Backup availability may depend on staffing, location, authorized tasks, and notice.
Call 911 when a missed visit creates an immediate health or safety emergency.
What is the first step if I am unsure whether Trinity or Medicaid Home Help is right for us?
Contact Trinity Home Assistance and explain the person’s daily care needs and current Medicaid status.
Trinity can help identify whether the family should begin with the local MDHHS Adult Services unit, discuss an existing authorization, or review caregiver options.