Personal Support Services vs Extended PSS in Georgia:What's the Difference?

Personal Support Services (PSS) and Extended Personal Support (PSSX) are the same kind of in-home help in Georgia; the difference is how long each visit lasts. Both come through Georgia's Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP). Both cover tasks like bathing, dressing, meals, light housekeeping and errands.

Standard PSS visits are shorter. PSSX visits are longer and cover care over an extended stretch of the day. You do not apply for either one directly. The care coordinator orders the right one in your loved one's care plan.

PSS vs PSSX at a glance

• Same tasks: both cover daily living help such as personal care, errands and light housekeeping.
• Different visit length: Georgia's rules cap the length of a standard PSS visit and set a minimum length for a PSSX visit.
• Who decides: the EDWP care coordinator, based on an assessment and with a doctor's approval.
• Who provides it: a licensed private home care agency enrolled with Georgia Medicaid.
• Link to SFC: the assessed need for PSSX is what Georgia uses to decide who can get Structured Family Caregiving.
• Where to start: call the Area Agency on Aging at 866-552-4464.

Who qualifies for Extended Personal Support (PSSX) in Georgia?

PSSX is not a program with its own application. It is one service inside EDWP. So your loved one must first qualify for EDWP. Then the assessment and care plan decide whether PSSX fits.

• EDWP eligibility. Medicaid, or likely Medicaid, plus the age or disability rules. See what EDWP is and who it serves.
• Nursing-home level of care. Georgia's waiver says members must meet the same level of care used for nursing facility admission.
• Limited help at home. The waiver describes PSS and PSSX members as people who live alone, or who live with others who are unable or unavailable to help with daily tasks.
• A real need for the service. The member must need personal support to keep living in the community.
• A longer stretch of care. PSSX fits when the help needed cannot be done well in a short visit.

These criteria come from Georgia's EDWP waiver renewal application. The waiver sets one profile for PSS and PSSX together. It does not create a separate eligibility test for PSSX. What changes is the length of care your loved one needs. The DFCS Medicaid policy manual adds that a member must receive a waiver service each calendar month to stay on EDWP.

What is the difference between PSS and PSSX?

Georgia's EDWP case management manual gives one definition for both. It describes tasks for clients who need help with activities of daily living. The tasks include errands, light housekeeping, basic personal care and basic home upkeep. They also give relief to the people who normally provide care.

The difference is time. The manual sets a maximum visit length for standard PSS. It sets a minimum visit length for PSSX. The waiver describes PSSX as support provided over an extended period in the home.

For current visit-length rules, ask the care coordinator or see the DCH EDWP case management manual. DCH updates its manuals each quarter. A 2024 DCH public notice still lists Personal Support and Personal Support Extended as separate services.

Who decides whether your parent gets PSS or PSSX?

The care coordinator, also called the case manager, decides. A nurse assesses your loved one at home. The coordinator then builds a care plan, and the physician signs off. The agency provides what the care plan orders. It cannot change the type or amount on its own.

Georgia's manual says case management orders services each month. Annual nurse assessments and regular reviews decide how often services continue. If a new service needs a doctor's order, the nurse can do a face-to-face check and request a change of service letter.

When does PSSX make sense?

Every care plan is different. These general, hypothetical situations show when families often ask about longer visits.

• Living alone with high needs. A person needs help getting up, washing, dressing and eating, and there is no one at home to fill the gaps.
• A family caregiver who works. A relative helps in the evenings but is away during the day.
• Caregiver relief. The usual caregiver needs a longer break than a short visit allows. PSS and PSSX can include in-home relief for the caregiver.
• Care during hospice. Georgia's manual says EDWP members in hospice may receive PSSX. The case manager coordinates with the hospice agency so services do not overlap.

Short visits may still be the better fit for someone who needs help with one or two tasks. More time is not always better if it is not needed.

How does PSSX connect to Structured Family Caregiving?

This link surprises many families. Georgia's waiver uses the assessed need for Extended Personal Support to decide who can get Structured Family Caregiving (SFC). SFC pays a relative who lives with the member to be the caregiver.

SFC replaces aide visits rather than adding to them. The waiver says separate payment is not made for PSS or PSSX when SFC is in place. Georgia's case management manual also lets families switch between SFC and PSS or PSSX with a physician's change of service letter.

To learn more, read how Georgia's Structured Family Caregiving program works.

Can a family member be the aide for PSS or PSSX?

Possibly. Georgia's 2022 waiver renewal set out a change allowing relatives to deliver Personal Support and Personal Support Extended. The relative must be hired by a private home care agency. Spouses and other legally responsible people are treated differently. Ask the care coordinator which relatives can be hired today.

Aides record every visit with Electronic Visit Verification. Our guide to Georgia EVV for family caregivers explains how check-ins work.

How do you ask for PSS or PSSX in Atlanta?

1. 1

   Call the Area Agency on Aging

   In metro Atlanta, call Empowerline at 404-463-3333, or the statewide line at 866-552-4464.

2. 2

   Complete the screening

   Staff check eligibility and urgency. EDWP often has a waitlist.

3. 3

   Have the home assessment

   A nurse or care coordinator reviews daily needs and who can help at home.

4. 4

   Review the care plan

   The coordinator orders PSS, PSSX or another service, and the doctor approves it.

5. 5

   Choose an agency

   Pick a Medicaid-enrolled home care agency to staff the visits.

Already on EDWP and need longer visits? Call your care coordinator. Describe what changed, such as a fall, a hospital stay or a caregiver's new work schedule. For the full picture of standard PSS, read our guide to Personal Support Services in Georgia.

How A1-GA Healthcare Agency helps

A1-GA Healthcare Agency is a Georgia DCH-approved Medicaid home care provider in Norcross. We have provided in-home care since 2008 and staffed caregivers since 2004. We provide EDWP home care in Atlanta, including Personal Support Services, and Structured Family Caregiving.

We can explain which type of support fits, help you prepare for the assessment, and staff the visits your loved one's care plan orders. If a relative lives with your loved one, we can also walk you through SFC.

• Phone: 678-446-1832
• Hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
• Email: [email protected]
• Check eligibility: Start the free eligibility form