Consumer Directed Services in Festus, Missouri

Communicare Elite serves Festus as a Consumer Directed Services vendor under MO HealthNet. You choose the attendant, a family member other than your spouse included, and the payroll, paperwork and Medicaid billing are ours.

Why home care matters in Festus

Festus and neighboring Crystal City sit toward the southern end of our service area, and they are the part of it that feels least like a suburb. This is a small-city and rural community where households are spread out, families have often been in the area for generations, and the nearest neighbor may be a field away.

Rural distance changes what home care has to look like. Agency staffing thins out badly this far from St. Louis, and an aide dispatched from the county line will not be reliable through a Jefferson County winter. Hiring someone local — a daughter-in-law two roads over, a neighbor, someone from church — is not a compromise here; it is the arrangement most likely to hold. Mercy Hospital Jefferson is close by, which keeps the medical transportation side of a care plan manageable.

How CDS works for Festus residents

It begins with MO HealthNet eligibility, then a state assessment at home on 866-835-3505, then an authorized care plan. Vendor choice comes after. The full six steps.

What your attendant can be paid for

Your authorized plan sets which tasks are paid — personal care, meals, housekeeping, appointments. The complete list.

Paying a family member in Festus

Distance makes a local family attendant especially valuable this far south. Every relationship except spouse qualifies. How it is arranged.

Distance from our office

Communicare Elite is at 4477 Woodson Rd, Suite 106, St. Louis, MO 63134, minutes from Lambert International Airport — roughly about 45 minutes from Festus. Most business is handled by phone, but you are welcome at the office; call ahead so someone is expecting you.

Questions from Festus families

Am I too far out to qualify?

Festus is near the outer edge of our roughly 40-mile radius but within it. If you are unsure about your specific address, call (314) 809-6655 and we will tell you plainly.

Can a neighbor be my paid attendant?

Yes. There is no requirement that an attendant be related to you — only that they are not your spouse and that they clear background screening.

Do you serve Crystal City, Herculaneum and De Soto?

Crystal City and Herculaneum, yes. De Soto is close to our limit — call and check with your address.

Can my attendant work for more than one person?

That depends on the authorized hours involved; we go through it before payroll is set up. How pay is calculated.

How much does an attendant earn?

Attendant pay and the payroll cycle are published rather than negotiated case by case. Attendant pay and payroll.

Nearby communities we also serve

Arnold · Kirkwood · St. Louis County · St. Louis City — or see the whole service area.