Companionship

Companionship services are provided to individuals living in private residences. Companionship services exist for the limited purpose of providing supervision and necessary care for the health and safety of the adult individual (18 years of age and older) with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This service is not available to people who are residing in unlicensed or licensed residential habilitation settings. Companionship services are used in lieu of habilitation services to protect the health and welfare of the individual when a habilitative outcome is not appropriate or feasible (that is, when the individual is not learning, enhancing, or maintaining a skill). This service can be used for asleep hours when only supervision, non-medical, or non-habilitative care is needed to protect the safety of the individual. For example, a companion can be used during overnight hours for an individual who lives on their own but does not have the ability to safely evacuate in the event of an emergency. This service can also be used to supervise individuals during socialization or non-habilitative activities to ensure the individual‘s safety. Companions may supervise and provide necessary care and minimal assistance with daily living activities, including grooming, health care, household care, meal preparation, and socialization. This service may not be provided at the same time as any other face-to-face service.

This service is not available for people residing in agency owned, rented, leased, or operated homes. Companionship services and home and community habilitation services have a combined maximum limit of 24 hours (96 15-minute units) per participant per calendar day.