Individual Community Living Services (ICLS)

Individual Community Living Services (ICLS)

ICLS covers assistance and support for eligible people 65 years and older how use Elder Waiver (EW) or the Alternative Care (AC) Program. It includes but not limited to the following service categories:

  • Active cognitive support
  • Adaptive support services
  • Activities of daily living
  • Household management
  • Health, safety and wellness
  • Community

Active cognitive support

The “active cognitive support” category includes interventions intended to address cognitive issues and challenges important to the person. Active cognitive supports are the only ICLS services that the person can receive both in-person and remotely.

Examples of ICLS services covered under this category include:

  • Problem solving the person’s concerns related to daily living
  • Providing assurance to the person
  • Observing and redirecting to address behavioral, orientation or other cognitive concerns.

Adaptive support service

The “adaptive support service” category includes services intended to help the person adopt ways to meet his or her needs. ICLS adaptive support services:

  • Encourage the person’s self-sufficiency
  • Reduce the person’s reliance on human assistance.

Examples of ICLS services covered under this category include:

  • Verbal, visual and/or touch guidance to help a person complete a task
  • Developing and demonstrating cuing or reminder tools (e.g., calendars, lists)
  • Providing verbal, visual and/or touch guidance to help the person complete a task
  • Helping the person understand written assistive technology directions or instructions from the manufacturer or health professional so the person can maintain independence.

Activities of daily living (ADLs)

The “ADLs” category includes services intended to assist the person with ADLs.

Household management

The “household management” category includes services intended to help the person manage his or her home. Examples of ICLS services covered under this category include:

  • Assisting with cleaning, meal planning/preparation, and shopping for household/personal needs
  • Assisting with budgets and money management
  • Assisting with communications (e.g., sorting mail, accessing email, placing phone calls, making appointments)
  • Providing transportation when transportation is integral to ICLS household management goals and community resources and/or informal supports are not available. 

Health, safety and wellness

The “health, safety and wellness” category includes services intended to help the person maintain his or her overall well-being. Examples of ICLS services covered under this category include:

  • Identifying changes in health needs, and notifying the case manager and/or informal caregivers as needed.
  • coordinating or implementing changes to mitigate environmental risks in the home
  • providing reminders about and assistance with exercises and other health maintenance/improvement activities
  • Providing medication assistance (e.g., medication refills, reminders, administration, and/or preparation)
  • Monitoring the person’s health according to written instructions from a licensed health professional
  • Using medical equipment devices or adaptive technology according to written instructions from a licensed health professional.

Community engagement

The “community engagement” category includes services intended to help the person have meaningful integration and participation in his or her community. Examples of ICLS services covered under this category include:

  • Facilitating the person in socially valued roles through engagement in relevant activities that lead to desired outcomes
  • Helping the person access activities, services and resources that facilitate meaningful community integration and participation
  • Helping the person develop and/or maintain his or her informal support system
  • Providing transportation when it is integral to ICLS community engagement goals and community resources and/or informal supports are not available.