Anyone in a nursing home setting who wants to work on returning to the community can apply. There is no age requirement.

Nursing home residents, family members, advocates, and nursing home staff can make referrals for this program.

The Open Doors Peer Program matches caring peers with people who want to leave a nursing home.  Many peers have lived in a nursing home at one time and have personal experience with the transition process.  Over time, the individual and the peer will identify the resources that are right for the individual and available in their community.  They will meet with the individual on their schedule and will work with them throughout the entire transition process.

The Olmstead Subsidy Housing Program was put in place to help find the participants appropriate housing so that they can safely return to living in the community.

The Medicaid Waiver Program allows the state to choose groups of people with needs and health conditions to receive tailor-made healthcare options at home or within the community. They provide waivers for care relating to developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, AIDS, and substance use disorders. Waiver services provide more oversight and supervision as well as service coordination. A waiver program allows the state to waive some requirements to meet the needs of individuals. For example, a waiver may help those more likely to need long-term care. Under the HCBS (Home and Community-Based Services) program, states can also offer a variety of non-medical services like case management, homemaker services, respite care, personal care, and adult day care. The waiver may also include any other services that help individuals maintain as much independence as possible.

MMC (Medicaid Managed Care) or MLTC (Medicaid Long Term Care) are Medicaid plans for eligible children and adults with low income. They provide low-cost healthcare, who will have access to a comprehensive range of preventative, primary, specialty, ancillary, and inpatient services.

NYIA (New York Independent Assessor) Assessment is an assessment program established for NYS Medicaid recipients who want to receive personal care and/or CDPAS and other community-based long-term services and supports.

The Good Neighbor Program (GN) is a component of the Open Doors program which was designed to assist people who do not have the informal supports such as the family and friends they need to leave a nursing home. GN can fill crucial gaps in an individual’s support network, but they cannot replace a home health aide or personal care aide in an emergency.

The Open Doors Food Card program was put into place for participants who are discharged from a nursing home setting to buy food and toiletries until their SNAP benefits are approved. SNAP approval can take up to 30 days and this helps to bridge the gap.

There are not any requirements for applying for an OD Food Card. The individual has to be discharging from a nursing home and planning to apply for SNAP Benefits from the Department of Social Services.

Health Home Referrals are referrals made for an individual going home who would like some support and help with services. A "Health Home" is not a place; it is a group of health care and service providers working together to make sure you get the care and services you need to stay healthy. Once you are enrolled in a Health Home, you will have your own care manager.