By Mark Harvey

This is going to be one of those “gobbledygook” columns, meaning it’s going to be about a couple of specific programs. If everything is going just fine for you, yours and everybody you know, then this is just going to give you a headache; if not, hang in there.

Most of you who have paid any attention to my ramblings over the years know that I define a “caregiver” as “somebody who is taking care of somebody who needs to be taken care of, whether they like it or not.” That “somebody” who is being taken care of is referred to, in typical bureaucratic terms, as a “care receiver.” Does any of this sound like you to you? Yes? Stay with me.

These caregiving arrangements aren’t always a proverbial walk in the park. They can, in some cases, be exhausting for the caregiver, and take a scary-heavy toll on them. What’s more, in many cases, the care receiver knows it. He/she knows what’s happening to this loved one who’s going down the tubes, trying to take care of them, but what’s he/she supposed to do — say, “OK, never mind?” He/she can’t! They need the care. They need the help.

What happens is that we just go on, day by day, trying not to think too much about tomorrow, because tomorrow can look pretty dark. Well, maybe it doesn’t have to.

So, care receiver, let me talk to you for a minute: What if there were a program that could get your caregiver a little relief? Respite, or help with housework or shopping, or a “personal emergency response system” (panic button), or equipment and supplies or “personal care” for you, while your caregiver does something frivolous — like sleep or go to the doctor for themselves or whatever. Sound like it might be worth doing?

Or, what if you’re alone, meaning you have no caregiver? The fact is that you need some help and you know it — and you’re not too thrilled about thinking too much about tomorrow, either, because you’re smart enough to see where things might be going; but you can’t really afford to pay for “help,” and you’re just a bit “over income” to qualify for Medicaid. So on you go, day by day, because what choice do you have?

Maybe you do have a choice.

If you, care receiver (or “person alone”), are 55 or better, live at home and bring in $2,313 or less per month, and your assets are equal to or less than $53,100 ($108,647, for a married couple), there just may be some help on the horizon.

Important note: “Assets” don’t count your house or the land it’s on, your car or your stuff. It refers to money in the bank, stocks, bonds, other properties, etc.

Still with me? Good!

I know what some of you are thinking: “This is beginning to sound like Medicaid.” Well, it is Medicaid — but there is no estate recovery or participation in the cost of care; so you really don’t have anything to lose.

For those who care, this program is called Tailored Supports for Older Adults, or TSOA. There is a subset of this program called Medicaid Alternative Care (yes, MAC) for folks who are already on Medicaid medical.

I’m not going to go any further into the weeds of eligibility because it will only make us all crazy. The fact is that if it sounds, so far, like you’re in the ballpark, you probably are. So, if you’re smart enough to know “help” when you see it (or, in this case, read it), what do you do?

Well, what I would do is call a genuinely decent human being and talk it over. If you mention TSOA, it might be helpful, but it isn’t mandatory. You can just describe your situation, and go from there. If you like what you hear in the conversation, you can pursue it; if you decide you don’t, that’s the end of it — no harm, no foul, no cost and absolutely no obligation.

And who are these “genuinely decent human beings”? Well, if you’re in Grays Harbor County, you want to talk to Eric Nessa at 360-538-2458 (or toll-free at 866-582-1485).

If you’re in northern Pacific County, you can reach Bob Powell in Raymond at 360-942-2177 (888-571-6557). If you’re in southern Pacific County, you can find him at 360-642-3634 (888-571-6558).

That’s all. It’s free, and it doesn’t hurt. I promise.

What does hurt? Being afraid to think about tomorrow.

Mark Harvey is the director of information and assistance for the Olympic Area Agency on Aging. He can be reached by email at harvemb@dshs.wa.gov; by phone at 360-532-0520 in Aberdeen, 360-942-2177 in Raymond, or 360-642-3634; or through Facebook at Olympic Area Agency on Aging-Information & Assistance.