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Last updated: 24 September 2026
Louisiana has separate programs for home care, Medicaid, accessible housing, medical equipment, transportation, legal help, and protection from abuse. The best place to start depends on the problem that is making daily life unsafe or harder.
Bottom Line
If a disabled older adult needs help with bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, walking, transfers, or staying safely at home, call Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care at 1-877-456-1146. For local aging services, use the state Aging and Disability Resource Center directory. If the problem is abuse, no food, unsafe housing, a utility shutoff, or another urgent need, use the urgent-help routes below.
Urgent Help
Immediate danger: Call 911. For a mental health or suicide crisis, call or text 988 Lifeline.
Food, shelter, utilities, or local emergency help: Call 2-1-1 or search Louisiana 211. If you need a more detailed plan for food, rent, utilities, or shelter, use our emergency help guide.
Abuse, neglect, exploitation, or serious self-neglect: For a person age 60 or older, the current EPS reporting page lists 1-833-577-6532 during business hours and 1-844-945-2377 for reports 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If the person is in immediate danger, call 911.
Start Here
- Name the unsafe task. Say “cannot bathe safely,” “cannot transfer from bed,” “needs a wheelchair,” or “cannot get to medical appointments.”
- Call the office that controls that problem. Louisiana Options handles major long-term-care screening. Medicaid handles coverage. Local aging offices handle many parish-level services.
- Ask for every matching route. One person may need home care, equipment, transportation, food help, and housing help at the same time.
| Need | Best first step | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Help with daily personal care | Louisiana Options: 1-877-456-1146 | LT-PCS, waiver screening, PACE, and transition options |
| Meals, caregiver support, rides, local services | ADRC directory | Which aging office serves the senior’s parish |
| Medicaid or health coverage | Louisiana Medicaid | Coverage, long-term care, appeals, and renewals |
| Equipment or assistive technology | LATAN and health coverage | Device trials, coverage, reuse, or financing |
| Accessible housing | Local housing authority or PSH | Accessible units, accommodations, and waitlists |
| Rights or legal problem | DRLA or civil legal aid | Appeal, accommodation, housing, or disability rights |
What Has Changed
- Louisiana’s current Elderly Protective Services page now clearly lists a 24/7 reporting number, 1-844-945-2377, in addition to the 1-833-577-6532 daytime toll-free number.
- The current My Place Louisiana page describes transition eligibility around Medicaid, an OAAS or OIDD waiver, and at least 60 consecutive days in a qualifying institution. The older article used narrower wording that is no longer the best current description.
- Louisiana Medicaid’s current transportation page directs managed-care members to their health plan and fee-for-service members to Verida, with at least 48 hours’ notice for routine non-emergency rides.
- Louisiana Permanent Supportive Housing continues to have geographic and waitlist restrictions. North Louisiana applications are limited to qualified referral sources, so readers should confirm the current route before relying on an older application instruction.
Home Care and Long-Term Support
The Louisiana Department of Health Office of Aging and Adult Services, usually called OAAS, is the main state office for long-term services for older adults and people with adult-onset disabilities. The OAAS home-care page tells people to call Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care at 1-877-456-1146 to ask about home and community-based services, waiver opportunities, or nursing facility placement.
Before you call, write down the tasks that are unsafe. Examples include getting in and out of bed, using the toilet, bathing, dressing, eating, walking, preparing meals, or remembering medicines. Do not describe the problem only as “needs help.” Specific daily tasks make screening easier.
Long-Term Personal Care Services
Long-Term Personal Care Services, or LT-PCS, can provide hands-on help with activities of daily living for qualifying Medicaid members. Louisiana says a person must receive Medicaid, be age 21 or older, qualify for nursing facility level of care, need at least limited help with a daily living activity, and be able to direct care personally or through a responsible representative. The current LT-PCS page also explains that LT-PCS is not nursing care, therapy, companionship, or general sitter service.
Reality check: LT-PCS is task-based personal care. It is not 24-hour supervision. If the senior needs more services than LT-PCS can provide, ask Louisiana Options to screen for other long-term-care routes.
Community Choices Waiver
The Community Choices Waiver can help some people who meet long-term-care Medicaid rules and nursing facility level of care remain at home or in the community. Services can include support coordination, personal assistance, home-delivered meals, caregiver respite, home changes, assistive devices, nursing, therapy, and transition help.
Waiver opportunities are not the same as an immediate promise of care. Priority groups, assessments, available providers, and service planning can affect how quickly help starts. If a relative is already doing most of the care, our family caregiver guide explains payment paths worth asking about.
Adult Day Health Care and PACE
The ADHC Waiver page says the Adult Day Health Care Waiver serves qualifying adults age 22 or older who meet long-term-care Medicaid rules and nursing facility level of care. It provides health-related services and structured daytime support at an adult day health center. It does not provide 24-hour care.
PACE, the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, combines medical and long-term-care services for qualifying adults. Louisiana’s PACE program page says a participant must be at least 55, meet nursing facility level of care, live in a PACE service area, and be able to live safely in the community at enrollment. Louisiana currently lists PACE providers in the New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Alexandria areas.
Leaving a facility: My Place Louisiana
My Place Louisiana helps eligible people move from certain institutions into home and community-based services. The current state page says a person must qualify for Medicaid, qualify for an OAAS or OIDD waiver, and have lived in a nursing facility, intermediate care facility, or hospital for at least 60 consecutive days. Ask the facility social worker and Louisiana Options to start transition planning early.
State Personal Assistance Services
The SPAS program page describes State Personal Assistance Services for adults age 18 or older with significant disabilities who need personal assistance or related supports to remain in the community or maintain employability. Services can include personal care, home or vehicle modifications, assistive technology, equipment, homemaker services, and other approved help. Applications go through The Arc of Louisiana at 1-866-966-6260.
| Route | May help with | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| LT-PCS | Hands-on daily personal care | Not nursing, therapy, or 24-hour supervision |
| Community Choices Waiver | Personal care, meals, respite, home changes, skilled supports | Assessment, priority, and provider availability matter |
| ADHC Waiver | Daytime health care and structured support | Not 24-hour care |
| PACE | Medical and long-term care in one program | Only in listed service areas |
| My Place Louisiana | Moving from an institution to the community | Institutional stay and waiver rules apply |
Accessible Housing and Home Safety
A disabled senior may need a different housing route depending on the problem: lower rent, an accessible unit, a reasonable accommodation, a ramp, help avoiding eviction, or a safer home. Start with our Louisiana housing guide if you need to compare rent, public housing, utility, and home-safety options.
For public housing and Housing Choice Voucher contacts, the HUD Louisiana page directs readers to local public housing authorities and HUD-approved housing counselors. Ask the local housing provider what accessible units are available and how to request a disability-related accommodation. A waitlist can be open for one program and closed for another, so save every application date and confirmation number.
Louisiana Department of Health Permanent Supportive Housing can serve some low-income households that include a person with a significant, long-term disability and a qualifying service connection. The current PSH program page says some vouchers also have age rules, and North Louisiana applications may only come from qualified referral sources. Call 1-844-698-9075 to confirm the route for the senior’s location.
For high utility bills, unsafe indoor temperatures, or energy-efficiency problems, the Louisiana Housing Corporation maintains LHC energy help. LIHEAP intake and funding can change by season and parish. For repair programs and accessibility work, our home repair guide lists additional Louisiana routes.
Medical Equipment and Assistive Technology
Before paying cash for a wheelchair, walker, hospital bed, lift device, communication tool, or other expensive equipment, ask whether Medicare, Medicaid, a health plan, a waiver, or a device-loan program can help.
Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network, or LATAN, allows Louisiana residents with disabilities or functional limits to try some devices before buying. The LATAN device loans page explains its trial program and current contact information. Device availability and fees can vary, so ask about the exact item first.
Medicare Part B can cover medically necessary durable medical equipment ordered for use in the home when Medicare’s rules are met. The official Medicare DME rules explain supplier requirements and patient cost-sharing. Medicaid coverage can differ by plan and service.
For loan closets, reuse programs, and local options, use our equipment loan guide. For a home that needs a ramp, bathroom change, or other safety work, compare equipment coverage with home-modification programs rather than assuming one program pays for everything.
Transportation for Medical Care
Louisiana Medicaid provides non-emergency medical transportation for eligible members who do not have another way to reach covered care. The current Medicaid transportation page says managed-care members should call their health plan, while fee-for-service members should call Verida at 1-855-325-7626. For routine rides, the state tells members to give at least 48 hours’ notice; weekends do not count.
For non-medical trips, ask the local Council on Aging or Aging and Disability Resource Center about transportation in the senior’s parish. Local programs may limit trip purpose, days, distance, or advance notice. Do not assume a medical ride program will cover grocery trips or other daily errands.
Medicaid, Medicare Costs, and Online Accounts
Louisiana Medicaid can cover health care and some long-term services for qualifying seniors and adults with disabilities. Medicaid Customer Service is 1-888-342-6207. If you need to apply, renew, report a change, or check a case, our benefits portals guide explains the Louisiana online systems before you enter personal information.
Seniors with Medicare and limited income should also ask about Medicare Savings Programs. The Medicare Savings Program page explains the Louisiana groups and says Medicaid can help with the application at 1-888-342-6207. Our Medicare Savings guide gives a plain-language comparison of QMB, SLMB, and QI.
Helpful tip: Keep Medicaid and Medicare notices. A renewal letter, request for proof, or appeal notice can have a deadline. If the senior’s address changes, update Medicaid promptly so important notices are not missed.
Legal Help, Rights, and Protection
Use legal help early when a disabled senior faces a Medicaid service cut, housing discrimination, eviction, unsafe discharge, benefits denial, guardianship concern, abuse, or a serious access problem.
Disability Rights Louisiana is the state’s protection and advocacy organization for people with disabilities. Its DRLA legal intake page lists 1-800-960-7705 and explains the kinds of disability-related matters it may handle. It does not handle every legal problem and does not provide emergency services.
For broader civil legal help, use Louisiana legal aid to search by parish and legal issue. If the concern involves a nursing home, assisted living facility, or other long-term-care setting, the state Ombudsman program lists a toll-free number of 1-866-632-0922.
If a senior may need facility care or an assisted-living plan, our assisted living guide can help the family compare payment paths without assuming Medicaid pays every residential cost.
Documents and Information to Gather
| Need | What to gather | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Home care | Daily tasks that are unsafe, doctor names, medicines, caregiver schedule | The screener needs to understand functional needs |
| Medicaid | Identity, income proof, resource records when requested, Medicare card, notices | Missing proof can delay a decision |
| Housing | Lease or deed, rent, notices, photos, disability-related accommodation need | Housing offices need the exact problem and address |
| Equipment | Prescription or order if available, measurements, diagnosis-related need, current device | Coverage often depends on medical necessity and the correct item |
| Appeal | Decision notice, envelope, deadline, proof already sent, call notes | The notice controls the next step and timing |
Phone Scripts
Home care
“I am calling for an older adult with a disability. The unsafe daily tasks are ____. Please screen for every OAAS home-care program that may fit, and tell me what assessment or documents come next.”
Housing
“I need accessible or affordable housing for a disabled senior in this parish. Is the waitlist open, and how do we request a reasonable accommodation or accessible unit?”
Equipment
“The person needs ____. Before we buy it, can you check whether Medicare, Medicaid, the health plan, a waiver, LATAN, or a reuse program may help?”
Appeal
“I received a denial, reduction, or closure notice. Please tell me the appeal deadline, how to file, what evidence is missing, and whether services can continue during review.”
How to Start Without Wasting Time
- Describe function, not only diagnosis. Explain what the person cannot safely do.
- Keep a call log. Write the date, office, worker’s name, phone number, and next step.
- Save proof. Keep copies or photos of applications, uploads, notices, and confirmation numbers.
- Ask about backup routes. If one program has a waitlist, ask what can help while the person waits.
- Update contact details. A missed Medicaid or waiver notice can cause avoidable problems.
If you are unsure where a disability issue fits in the wider Louisiana benefit system, our Louisiana benefits guide gives a broader starting map. For parish aging contacts, our Louisiana aging directory explains Area Agencies on Aging and Councils on Aging.
Reality Checks
- Assessment is not approval. A screening call starts the process; the responsible program decides eligibility and services.
- Home care can be limited. Waiver opportunities, assessments, worker shortages, and provider availability can delay service.
- Housing is local. Waitlists and application rules can differ by housing authority, region, and program.
- Equipment rules differ. A device that is useful is not automatically covered by Medicare or Medicaid.
- Transportation is purpose-based. Medicaid medical transportation is not a general ride program.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Waiting until discharge day. Start home-care, equipment, and ride planning before a hospital or nursing-facility discharge.
- Calling only one office. A senior may need separate help for personal care, housing, equipment, and food.
- Ignoring a notice. Read denials, renewal letters, and requests for information as soon as they arrive.
- Buying equipment first. Check coverage, device loans, reuse, and home-modification programs before paying a large amount.
- Using an old waitlist rule. Housing and waiver availability can change. Confirm the route on the day you apply.
Denied, Delayed, or Overwhelmed
Find the written notice and circle any deadline. Ask the program why the request was denied or reduced and what evidence is missing. File an appeal by the method listed on the notice. If a disability-rights issue, housing problem, or loss of essential Medicaid services is involved, contact legal help early.
If the need is immediate, do not wait for an appeal to solve today’s crisis. Call 2-1-1 for food, shelter, utility, or local emergency referrals while you continue the formal benefit process.
Resumen en Español
Las personas mayores con discapacidad en Louisiana pueden pedir ayuda para cuidado en casa, Medicaid, vivienda accesible, equipo médico, transporte y servicios legales. Para cuidado a largo plazo en casa, llame a Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care al 1-877-456-1146. Para ayuda local con comida, vivienda o servicios comunitarios, llame al 2-1-1.
Si una persona de 60 años o más sufre abuso, negligencia o explotación, la página estatal de Elderly Protective Services indica 1-833-577-6532 durante horas de oficina y 1-844-945-2377 para reportes las 24 horas. Si hay peligro inmediato, llame al 911. Guarde todas las cartas de Medicaid, vivienda y otros programas, especialmente si contienen una fecha límite para responder o apelar.
FAQ
What is the best first call for home care in Louisiana?
Call Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care at 1-877-456-1146. Explain which daily tasks are unsafe and ask to be screened for every OAAS service that may fit.
Can a disabled senior get help with a ramp or equipment?
Possibly. Ask Medicare or Medicaid about covered equipment, ask Louisiana Options about approved home modifications, and check LATAN or local reuse programs before buying an expensive item.
Where do I report abuse of a disabled senior?
If there is immediate danger, call 911. For a person age 60 or older, Louisiana’s Elderly Protective Services page lists 1-833-577-6532 during business hours and 1-844-945-2377 for reports 24 hours a day.
Does Louisiana offer disability housing help?
Yes, but the route depends on the person’s location, income, disability-related needs, and the housing program. Check local public housing authorities, reasonable accommodations, and Louisiana Permanent Supportive Housing.
What should I do if Medicaid cuts home-care services?
Read the notice immediately, identify the appeal deadline, ask what evidence supports the decision, and follow the appeal instructions. Contact Disability Rights Louisiana or civil legal aid if you need help protecting essential services.
About This Guide
Sources
This guide uses official federal, state, local, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources linked in the article.
Editorial note
This guide is produced under the GFS Editorial Standards using official and other high-trust sources. GFS is not affiliated with a government agency and is not a substitute for official agency guidance. Individual eligibility outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
Corrections
Despite careful verification, errors may occur. Email info@grantsforseniors.org with corrections.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal, financial, medical, tax, disability-rights, immigration, or government-agency advice. Program rules, policies, funding, and availability can change. Readers should confirm current details directly with the responsible official program before acting.
Last updated: 24 September 2026 · Next review: 24 January 2027
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