Support built around the person
Every service below is authorized through an approved DODD waiver and an individual service plan. What that looks like day to day is worked out with the individual, the family and the SSA.
Homemaker Personal Care
HPC is the core of what we do. A direct support professional works alongside the individual in their own home and community, helping with the parts of the day that are hard to manage alone.
The goal is never to take over. It is to make an ordinary day possible, with as much independence as the person wants and can safely hold.
What support can include
- Personal hygiene, grooming and dressing
- Household cleaning, laundry and upkeep
- Meal planning, preparation and nutrition support
- Getting out into the community and staying connected
- Daily routines and progress toward goals in the service plan
- Medication assistance where it is authorized and staff are trained
Participant-Directed HPC
Some families already know exactly who they want providing care. Participant-directed HPC lets you choose that person and set the schedule. It is available under the Individual Options, Level One and SELF waivers.
Who acts as the employer depends on which waiver you are on, and it is worth understanding the difference before you decide.
On Individual Options and Level One
You are the employer. Ohio calls this the common law employer arrangement: you hire an individual directly, you decide what they are paid, and you hold the employer responsibilities. Nirvana cannot be the employer on these two waivers.
On the SELF waiver
Agency with Choice becomes available. Under that arrangement Nirvana acts as co-employer, so you still choose the person and set the schedule while we carry payroll, background checks, training records and compliance documentation.
Hiring a family member. A person may hire their own family members, provided that relative is not also designated to help with employer functions. Parents cannot provide this service to their own child under 18.
Ask us and your SSA early. The rules differ by waiver and we would rather work through it properly with you than guess.
Governed by Ohio Administrative Code 5123-9-32.
HPC Transportation
Independence depends on being able to get places. Appointments, work, day programs, activities, family. HPC Transportation covers those trips as part of the same personal care relationship rather than handing the person off to a stranger in a van.
Staff who drive are background-checked, licensed and insured, and their driving records are verified before they transport anyone.
How it fits together
- Trips coordinated with the individual's regular HPC schedule
- Medical appointments, employment and day programs
- Community activities, errands and family visits
- The same familiar staff person wherever possible
Community Transition
This one is narrower than its name suggests, and it is often misunderstood, so here is what it actually is.
Community Transition reimburses one-time household start-up costs for someone moving out of an intermediate care facility or a nursing facility into a home of their own. Think deposits, basic furnishings and getting utilities connected. It is a payment toward setting up the household, not a staffing service.
Who it applies to. It is available under the Individual Options waiver only, and the person must have lived in an intermediate care facility or nursing facility for at least ninety days before transitioning.
The day to day support after a move is Homemaker Personal Care, which is a separate service. If you are planning a move, ask us and your SSA about both.
Governed by Ohio Administrative Code 5123-9-48.
Who qualifies for what
A quick orientation only. Your SSA confirms actual eligibility and authorizes services through the individual service plan.
| Service | What it covers | Available under | Ohio rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homemaker Personal Care | Daily living support at home and in the community | Individual Options, Level One | 5123-9-30 |
| Participant-Directed HPC | The same support, with you choosing and directing the staff | Individual Options, Level One, SELF | 5123-9-32 |
| HPC Transportation | Trips tied to a need identified on the individual service plan | Individual Options, Level One, SELF | 5123-9-24 |
| Community Transition | One-time household start-up costs after at least ninety days in a facility | Individual Options only | 5123-9-48 |
Not sure whether you qualify? Contact the Support Service Administrator at your county board of developmental disabilities. They confirm eligibility and send referrals to providers.
Services we are not currently accepting. We are certified for Non-Medical Transportation and Shared Living, but we are not taking new referrals for either one right now. We would rather say so up front than hold a referral we cannot serve well.
How services are paid for
Authorized waiver services are billed to the funding source on the individual service plan. Families are not billed directly by Nirvana for those services.
I/O Waiver
Individual Options waiver, the most comprehensive of the DODD waivers.
Level 1 Waiver
Capped annual funding for a defined set of supports.
SELF Waiver
Self-Empowered Life Funding, built around participant direction.
Local funds
County board funding where a waiver is not in place.
Ready to talk about a placement?
Send it through LiveCare or your county board's process and we will come back to you within one business day with a clear answer.