Support for Brooklyn Families Caring for a Loved One Through the Waivers

Most of the care a person receives after a brain injury, or while living with a disability at home, comes from family. In Brooklyn and Queens that often means one adult child juggling work, appointments and a parent’s needs on top of their own household. The waiver programs are designed to keep the person at home, and part of that is making sure the family is not carrying everything alone.

Signs the family caregiver is running on empty

• Sleep is short and broken most nights.
• You have cancelled your own doctor visits.
• Small things trigger big frustration, on both sides.
• You are the only person who knows the medications, the appointments and the passwords.

None of this is a failure. It is a signal to share the load.

How waiver services take pressure off

• Service Coordination: one person who keeps the plan, the providers and the paperwork in order, so the family is not the switchboard.
• Independent Living Skills Training: the more your loved one can do for themselves, the less you do for them.
• Community Integration Counseling: support for the participant through big adjustments, which often eases tension at home.
• Behavioral supports: a shared plan for hard moments so every family member responds the same way.

Share the knowledge, not just the tasks

Write a one-page care summary: diagnoses, medications, doctors, insurance and Medicaid numbers kept somewhere safe, and the daily routine. Give a copy to a second family member. If you ever get sick, the plan does not stop with you.

Getting started

If your loved one has a traumatic brain injury and Medicaid, the TBI waiver may be a fit. If they are already in the NHTD waiver, you can choose or change your provider. Either way, the NYC Regional Resource Development Center (RRDC) handles eligibility.

A note on NHTD: New York State is not accepting most new NHTD referrals right now, and limited openings are released through the Regional Resource Development Center (RRDC). If your family member is already in the NHTD waiver, you can choose or switch providers. If they are new and have a brain injury, the TBI waiver is usually the place to start.

Where Priority Cares fits: in New York City (all five boroughs) Priority Cares Home Services is approved by the NYS Department of Health for the NHTD and TBI waivers: Service Coordination, Independent Living Skills Training (ILST), Community Integration Counseling (CIC) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). On Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk) we are approved for NHTD Community Integration Counseling only. Other waiver-funded services, such as aide hours or home modifications, come from other approved providers that your service coordinator lines up.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please talk with your doctor or care team about your own situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can family members get counseling through the waiver?

Community Integration Counseling is for the participant, and it often involves the family, especially around big changes like a move home. Ask your service coordinator how family sessions fit the plan.

What if my parent has dementia rather than a brain injury?

The TBI waiver is for traumatic brain injury. Older adults with other conditions may fit the NHTD waiver, which has limited new openings right now. A doctor’s evaluation and a call to the RRDC are the right first steps.

Who arranges respite for a family caregiver?

Respite can be part of some waiver service plans and is delivered by approved providers. Ask your service coordinator what is available in your plan.

If you are caring for a loved one in Brooklyn or Queens and want to talk about waiver support, call (718) 400-6166 or reach us at prioritycareshs.com/contact.