adult family care unique option for

Adult Family Care: Unique Option for Independent Living

Adult Family Care (AFC) is a program which matches those who need

extra assistance living successfully in the community with families

and individuals who can provide a private bedroom, meals, limited

personal care, transportation assistance, and medication reminding.

Hosts are paid monthly by Medicaid and receive room and board

reimbursement from the participant. Hosts undergo a thorough

assessment process to ensure the best possible match with a potential

participant. AFC staff provide ongoing support and training to the

participant and host. Hosts can have up to three AFC participants in

their home.

AFC participants are people living with a variety of different medical

diagnoses, ranging from epilepsy, to traumatic brain injury, to

HIV/AIDS, and many more. Some participants work, while others attend

Adult Day Health programs. Participants are age 18 or older and have a

chronic medical diagnosis that requires assistance with at least one

activity of daily living per day (e.g. feeding, bathing, dressing,

ambulating). Participants cannot be immediately related to the host,

but can be friends and may already be living together.

Medicaid pays the host $19.00 per day in TAX-FREE income

(approximately $570 per month), while the participant pays at least

$400 per month in room and board. Private pay options are available

for non-Medicaid clients.

Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) provides the AFC Program in

the Greater Boston area as far north as Ipswich, and in the western