Offering Personal Care Services in New Mexico

The New Mexico personal care services program provides a wide range of services for the elderly and individuals with a qualifying disability. The goal of the personal care services program is to improve recipients’ quality of life and prevent them from having to enter a nursing facility. The State agency requires recipients to obtain a physician authorization form that documents the medical need for personal care services. For each recipient, the State agency contracts with a third-party assessor that performs an in-home assessment to determine the types and amounts of care needed to develop a personal care services plan (PCSP). The third-party assessor uses those assessments and the physician authorization forms to prepare recipients’ weekly schedule of services, which typically are in effect for 1 year.