Ages 18–64
Built for working-age adults with a long-term disability.
Choose your own caregiver, even a family member, and get daily help at home through Connecticut's PCA Medicaid Waiver. It's for adults 18 to 64 living with a disability. Cottage Home Care has guided families since 2019, and we handle the confusing parts at no cost to you. Think you earn too much or aren't sure you qualify? Apply anyway. Getting on the list is the first step.
Free to start.
There's no cost to get guidance or to apply, and referrals are taken in the order they're received.
Eligibility
To qualify for the PCA Waiver, DSS looks at your age, your care needs, your ability to direct a caregiver, and your Medicaid financial eligibility. Here's the important part: you can apply and join the waitlist even if you're currently over the income or asset limits. DSS only checks finances when a spot is offered.
What Is PCA?
The Personal Care Assistance (PCA) Waiver is a Connecticut Medicaid program, run by the Department of Social Services, that pays for a caregiver to help adults 18–64 with a disability handle daily activities at home, so they can stay in their own home instead of a nursing facility. Because it's self-directed, you're in charge: you choose your caregiver, set the schedule, and direct the care. A fiscal intermediary handles the payroll and taxes, so you don't have to.
Who PCA Is For: Adults 18 to 64 with a long-term disability or chronic condition who need regular daily help and want to stay in their own home. If that's you or someone you love, PCA may be the answer, and we can help you find out.
Built for working-age adults with a long-term disability.
Pick your own caregiver: a family member, friend, or neighbor.
From your first call through the waitlist and assessment, you're not doing this alone.
Cottage Homecare Services CT LLC helps Connecticut residents who want to direct their own care through Medicaid home and community-based programs. From Fairfield to Windham, we guide families through eligibility, the application, and the waitlist. Call us to confirm how we can help in your area.
Our main office:
510 Tolland St, Suite 203, East Hartford, CT 06108
Our contacts:
What's Covered
Your caregiver helps with the daily activities in your DSS-approved care plan. The exact tasks and hours come from your assessment.
Help with bathing, showering, oral care, skin care, and grooming.
Help putting on and removing clothing and footwear, including adaptive clothing.
Support with safer movement at home: bed-to-chair, chair-to-toilet, and getting around.
Help with meal preparation, serving, and eating.
Respectful help with bathroom use and continence needs.
Reminders and non-medical help. (Caregivers can't give medications or injections.)
Laundry, dishes, and keeping your space clean and safe.
Shopping and getting to medical appointments.
We help you prepare for your DSS assessment so nothing gets missed.
Your authorized services and hours are set by a DSS care manager's assessment. We help you get ready for it so your real needs are on the record.
Choosing Your Caregiver
This is what makes PCA different: you choose and direct your own caregiver, and it can be your adult child, a sibling, a friend, or a neighbor. You're the employer, a fiscal intermediary handles the pay and taxes, and we help you understand each step so it's not overwhelming.
You can often choose an adult child, sibling, friend, or neighbor. Whether a spouse can be paid depends on program rules and DSS review, ask us and we'll tell you where you stand.
How It Works
Three steps from your first call to receiving care at home, and we're with you through each one.
Call or fill out the form. We'll talk through your situation and next steps at no cost. (DSS makes the official eligibility decision.)
We help you complete the DSS application and get in line. Referrals are taken in the order received, so applying sooner matters.
When a spot opens, a DSS care manager visits, confirms your needs, and authorizes your hours. Then you bring on the caregiver you chose.
Client Reviews
Caregivers and clients praise our PCA program with five-star ratings. Cottage Homecare holds a 5.0-star rating on Google.
Read full ↗I was told the PCA waitlist would take forever. Cottage Homecare helped me apply correctly and kept me informed every step of the way. I'm now receiving care in my own home.
Read full ↗I care for my brother through the PCA program. Cottage handled all the paperwork and training. I get paid reliably every week and my brother gets the dignity he deserves.
Read full ↗Being able to choose a trusted friend as my caregiver made all the difference. Cottage Homecare enrolled us quickly and has been there for every question we had.
Read full ↗Living with a disability is hard enough — navigating Medicaid felt impossible. Cottage made it simple. Now I have the care I need and the independence I wanted.
Read full ↗I was told the PCA waitlist would take forever. Cottage Homecare helped me apply correctly and kept me informed every step of the way. I'm now receiving care in my own home.
Read full ↗I care for my brother through the PCA program. Cottage handled all the paperwork and training. I get paid reliably every week and my brother gets the dignity he deserves.
Read full ↗Being able to choose a trusted friend as my caregiver made all the difference. Cottage Homecare enrolled us quickly and has been there for every question we had.
Read full ↗Living with a disability is hard enough — navigating Medicaid felt impossible. Cottage made it simple. Now I have the care I need and the independence I wanted.
FAQ
Common questions about PCA eligibility, the waitlist, and services in Connecticut.
If you're becoming a caregiver for a loved one through PCA, or you're looking for caregiving work in Connecticut, we'd like to hear from you.
