Our Services: Kinship Care: Gateways Community Services : Nashua, NH

Gateways Community Services:
Caring for our Community.
All Day. Every Day. For a Lifetime.

Designed to give you the care you need at home or in the home of a loved one.

Older adults and adults with physical disabilities have many choices in where they want to live today, but getting good care when they are not feeling well or have a disability is not as easy. For most people, family is their first choice when they need a caregiver. However, caring for an elder in their home every day or bringing an older relative into your home means many changes in family life. It may mean the caregiver has to give up work time or make other sacrifices to care for the older relative or make physical changes to the home.

To ease the load placed on the caregiving relative, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, through its Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services has contracted with Gateways Community Services to implement Kinship Care. The program helps the family financially and offers the elder the chance to get needed services in their family member's home. The caregiver is paid for offering daily care.

Kinship Care is a valuable resource in New Hampshire for families, for elders, and for adults with disabilities. While this program is not the answer for everyone, it will bring relief to many of those who are taking care of an older relative in their home and will give many elders an alternative to moving to a nursing home. To check your eligibility for the Kinship Care Program, please contact Gateways Community Services.

Frequently Asked Questions:
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How do I know if I am eligible to participate in the program?

To be part of the Kinship Care Program, you must be eligible for Home and Community Based Care services from the State of New Hampshire. This means that you must be income eligible and have a number of medical service needs. A Medical doctor must also agree that the program is the right one for you.

How does a member of my family know if they meet the requirements to be a provider?

Before the family can receive money to care for their family member, Gateways Community Services will visit the home to complete a checklist of requirements. They will look at many safety concerns such as smoke detectors and no slip floors. We will also make sure that the caregiver is at least 21 years of age, be physically able to provide the needed care, have a New Hampshire driver’s license and pass a Tuberculosis test. The caregiver may not be the spouse of the individual needing care. All members of the caregiver’s household will have passed a criminal record check before the client moves into their home.

How does the caregiver receive support from Gateways Community Services?

Once the match is approved, the caregiver will receive training in medical emergency procedures, infection control and food safety. A nurse and a case worker from Gateways Community Services will meet regularly with the client and the caregiver to help with new concerns or situations.

What other training will the caregiver receive?

Each caregiver will get training in medical emergency procedures, infection control and food safety. Other training programs will be created as needed.

Gateways Community Services: Creating Partnership with the Community