Individuals with health problems that make it difficult or impossible to independently perform what are called "activities of daily living" may be eligible to receive no cost help with these activities so that they can remain at home.

Texas' Primary Home Care and Family Home Care programs provide "non-technical" help with bathing, dressing, using the toilet, transferring and ambulation (getting in and out of a bed or chair and moving around, meal preparation, and helping with self-administered medications.

Other services that can be included are laundry, shopping, and escorting the client to medical appointments.

As an alternative to care at home, the CCAD program offers Adult Day Care at participating day programs when they are available.

To qualify for CCAD services an individual must have an initial physician's order.

The individual must also meet certain financial criteria:

1. Monthly income must be no more than $1,869 (in 2007).

2. Assets must be no more than $2,000. Assets are such things as savings accounts, checking accounts, CDs, investments, and property other than the homestead. The individual's home, automobile, a pre-paid burial policy and term life insurance with no cash value are not counted as assets when applying for CCAD assistance.

To begin the application process for Community Care For The Aged and Disabled (CCAD) telephone your local Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services office. Use the DADS telephone number locator. Your call will be taken by an intake operator, who will ask for the full name, address and date of birth of your elder. The intake operator will also ask for the name and contact information of your elder's physician, so that the physician's order paperwork can be sent to him or her.

You will receive an application packet in the mail. When this completed application and supporting documents are received at the CCAD office, your elder will be assigned a caseworker. The CCAD caseworker will begin the process of assessing the exact kind of help you need, and assigning a provider agency.