63. What if I live in a rest home?
If you live in a licensed rest home and you do not have enough money to pay the monthly charge, DTA will pay the rest home the amount you cannot afford through the EAEDC program. DTA pays the difference between your income and the monthly rate, currently approximately $50/day or $1,500/month, after leaving you a monthly allowance of $72.80. This is called your Personal Needs Allowance (PNA).
DTA will send you the EAEDC benefits by check. You will be required by the rest home to sign the check over to the rest home as payment for living in the rest home. The rest home then gives you the monthly $72.80 PNA.
You must meet all the other EAEDC eligibility rules, aside from monthly income limits, including being either elderly or disabled (see Questions 2 and 26) and having countable assets under $250 (see Question 46).
EAEDC rest home cases are handled by DTA’s Central Rest Home (CRH) unit. See Ops Memo 2014-32 (April 17, 2014).
Example 1: James McKay is 71 and has become frail. He has moved into the Seaview Rest Home. His monthly Social Security benefit is $1,200 and he has no savings. Mr. McKay can keep $72.80 for his Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) and will pay the rest of his income ($1,200 - $72.80 = $1,127.20) to the rest home. DTA will pay to the rest home the difference between what McKay pays ($1,127.20) and the state-approved monthly rate (currently $1,500). In this case, DTA will pay $272.80 to the rest home.
Example 2: Francisco Rivera, age 25, suffered a traumatic .brain injury. He has never worked. He has no income and no savings. He is a Legal Permanent Resident but does not meet the S.S.I. immigration status rules. He moves into the Hampton Rest Home. He applies for EAEDC based on disability and provides a Medical Report and Disability Supplement showing that he is disabled. EAEDC will pay the rest home the monthly rate of approximately $1,500 and will pay Francisco $72.80 monthly which he can use for his personal needs.
DTA Policy Guidance: