Glossary term
ALW
Assisted Living Waiver
A California Medi-Cal waiver program that pays for assisted-living services and personal care at participating Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly, for eligible Medi-Cal members who would otherwise need nursing-home care.
The Assisted Living Waiver is the only Medi-Cal path that helps pay for assisted living, but it never covers room and board, only the services portion, and it operates in just 15 counties with waitlists that commonly run 8 to 18 months. Families who expect it to start immediately are usually caught off guard. The move is to apply early, even before financial eligibility is fully settled.
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