Consumer Directed Services in Arnold, Missouri

In Arnold, Communicare Elite is the MO HealthNet CDS vendor. Eligible participants choose their own personal care attendant — any relationship other than spouse — and we take on payroll, program paperwork and Medicaid billing.

Why home care matters in Arnold

Arnold sits at the top of Jefferson County where I-55 crosses the Meramec, and it functions as the county’s front door to St. Louis. It has grown steadily for decades, and a good deal of that growth was young families buying affordable houses in the 1970s and 80s — those same households are now reaching the age where help at home becomes the question.

Jefferson County has fewer home care options than St. Louis County, and that shortage is exactly why the consumer-directed model works well here. You are not waiting for an agency to have staff available in your area; you hire someone you already know, from your own community, and we employ and pay them. Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City and the St. Louis hospitals up I-55 are both reachable, and transportation is frequently a significant part of an Arnold care plan.

How CDS works for Arnold residents

Confirm MO HealthNet eligibility, request the Department of Health and Senior Services assessment on 866-835-3505, and get your plan authorized — then choose your vendor. Each step in detail.

What your attendant can be paid for

What can be paid for is whatever your authorized plan lists, across personal care, household tasks and transport. See the covered tasks.

Paying a family member in Arnold

Jefferson County families often provide years of unpaid care before hearing this is an option. Anyone but a spouse can be hired. What to do.

Distance from our office

Communicare Elite is at 4477 Woodson Rd, Suite 106, St. Louis, MO 63134, minutes from Lambert International Airport — roughly about 35 minutes from Arnold. Most business is handled by phone, but you are welcome at the office; call ahead so someone is expecting you.

Questions from Arnold families

Is Jefferson County within your service area?

Yes. Arnold and the northern half of Jefferson County are comfortably within about 40 miles of our office.

There are not many home care agencies down here. Does CDS work differently?

It does, and that is an advantage locally. You supply the person — a relative, a neighbor, a friend — rather than depending on an agency having staff free in your area.

How far do I have to travel to deal with paperwork?

Rarely at all. Most of it is handled by phone and post. Call (314) 809-6655 and we will tell you what actually requires a visit.

What is EVV and does it affect me?

Electronic Visit Verification records when care is delivered, and it applies to CDS timesheets. How EVV works.

What if English is not my first language?

Language access is part of how the program is meant to be delivered. Non-discrimination and language access.

Nearby communities we also serve

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