Nursing homes used to be the only choice for older or disabled persons who needed help caring for themselves. Today there may be the choice to stay in your home or a community setting, but you or a family member may need assistance in doing so.
One program run by Michigan Medicaid is the MI Choice Waiver Program. It began in 1992 as the Home and Community Based Services for the Elderly and Disabled (HCBS/ED) waiver program. We now know it as the MI Choice Waiver Program, or simply, "the waiver."
Through this program, eligible adults who meet income and asset criteria can receive Medicaid-covered services like those provided by nursing homes, but can stay in their own home or another residential setting. The waiver became available in all Michigan counties October 1, 1998. Each participant can receive the basic services Michigan Medicaid covers, and one or more of the following services unique to the waiver:
- Homemaker services
- Respite services
- Adult day care
- Environmental modifications
- Transportation
- Medical supplies and equipment not covered under the Medicaid State Plan
- Chore services
- Personal emergency response systems
- Private duty nursing
- Counseling
- Home delivered meals
- Training in a variety of independent living skills
- Personal care supervision
The Waiver Agency Region Map and list of Waiver Agents below will make it easier to contact the MI Choice Waiver Agency in your community who can provide you with more information. To identify the waiver agency in your community, see the Waiver Agency Region Map. After finding your region on the map, refer to the List of Waiver Agents by Region. (updated June 2007)
Region 1A
Detroit Area Agency on Aging
Paul Bridgewater, Executive Director
Mary O'Neil, Program Director
1333 Brewery Park Blvd., Suite 200
Detroit, Michigan 48207
Tele: 313-446-4444
Fax: 313-446-4446
Region 1B
Area Agency on Aging 1B
Tina Abbate Marzolf, CEO
Kathleen Kueppers, Program Director
29100 Northwestern Highway, Suite 400
Southfield, Michigan 48034
Tele: 248-357-2255
Fax: 248-648-9691
Macomb-Oakland Regional Center, Inc.
Dennis M. Bott, Director
Marcia Marklin, Program Director
16200 Nineteen Mile Road
P. O. Box 380710
Clinton Township, Michigan 48038-0070
Tele: 586-263-8953
Fax: 586-228-7029
Region 1C
The Senior Alliance
Robert Brown Executive Director
Lydia Gold, Program Director
3850 Second Street, Suite 201
Wayne, Michigan 48184-1755
Tele: 734-722-2830
Fax: 734-722-2836
The Information Center, Inc.
Ruth Sebaly, President
Kelly Faber, Program Director
20500 Eureka Road, Suite 110
Taylor, Michigan 48180
Tele: 734-282-7171
Fax: 734-282-7105
Region 2
Region 2 Area Agency on Aging
Ginny Wood-Bailey, Executive Director
Barbara Stoy, Waiver Services Manager
102 North Main Street
PO Box 189
Brooklyn, Michigan 49230
Tele: 800-335-7881
517-467-2204
Fax: 517-467-8214
Region 3
Region 3B Area Agency on Aging
Karla Fales, Executive Director
Linda Frost, RN, Care Management Director
200 West Michigan Avenue, Suite 100
Battle Creek, Michigan 49017
Tele: 269-966-2450
Fax: 269-441-0961
Senior Services, Inc.
Robert W. Littke, Director
John Grib, Program Director
918 Jasper Street
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49001
Tele: 269-382-0515
Fax: 269-382-3189
Region 4
Region IV Area Agency on Aging
Lynn Kellogg, Chief Executive Officer
John Altena, Program Director
2900 Lakeview Avenue
St. Joseph, Michigan 49085
Tele: 269-983-0177
Fax: 269-983-5218
Region 3B Area Agency on Aging
Karla Fales, Executive Director
Linda Frost, RN, Care Management Director
200 West Michigan Avenue, Suite 100
Battle Creek, Michigan 49017
Tele: 269-966-2450
Fax: 269-441-0961
Region 5
Valley Area Agency on Aging
Kathy Boles, Director
Yaushica Brown, CM Supervisor
711 North Saginaw Street, Suite 207
Flint, Michigan 48503
Tele: 810-239-7671
Fax: 810-239-8869
Region 6
Tri-County Office on Aging
Marion Owen, Director
5303 South Cedar Street
Lansing, Michigan 48911-3800
Tele: 517-887-1440
Fax: 517-887-8071
Region 7
A&D Home Health Care, Inc.
Roselyn Argyle, Director
David Benjamin, Program Director
3150 Enterprise, Suite 200
Saginaw, Michigan 48603
Tele: 1-800-884-3335
989-249-0929
Fax: 989-249-1147 / 989-249-1153 - Roselyn Argyle
Region VII Area Agency on Aging
Bruce King, Director
Kerry Williams, Program Director
1615 S. Euclide Avenue
Bay City, Michigan 48706
Tele: 989-893-4506
Fax: 989-893-3770
Region 8
Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan, Inc.
Thomas Czerwinski, Director
Suzanne Filby-Clark, Program Director
1279 Cedar Street, N.E.
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503-1378
Tele: 616-456-5664
Fax: 616-456-5692
HHS, Health Options
Denise L. Zoeterman, President and CEO
Steven Velzen-Haner, Clinical Director
5363 44th Street, S.E.
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49512
Tele: 800-447-3007
616-956-9440
Fax: 616-285-2583
Region 9
Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency (NEMCSA)
John Swise, Director
Laurie Sauer, Program Director
2375 Gordon Road
Alpena, Michigan 49707
Tele: 989-356-3474
Fax: 989-354-5909
Northern Michigan Regional Health Systems
Diane Lagerstrom, Program Director
Melody Boughner
416 Connable Avenue
Petoskey, Michigan 49770-2297
Tele: 231-487-5305 (Lagerstrom)
231-487-5306 (Boughner)
Fax: 231-487-4880
Region 10
Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan
Gregory Piaskowski, Executive Director
Robert Schlueter, Program Director
1609 Park Drive
P. O. Box 5946
Traverse City, Michigan 49696-5946
Tele: 231-947-8920
Fax: 231-947-6401
Northern Lakes Community Mental Health
Gregory D. Paffhouse, Director
Terri Kelty, Program Director
105 Hall Street, Suite D
Traverse City, Michigan 49684
Tele: 800-640-7478
231-933-4917 (Paffhouse)
231-933-4913 (Kelty)
Fax: 231-995-7900
Region 11
U.P. Area Agency on Aging (UPCAP)
Jonathan Mead, Director
Mark Bomberg, Program Director
Tammy Spigarelli, Waiver Program Coordinator
P.O. Box 606
2501 14th Avenue South
Escanaba, Michigan 49829
Tele: 906-786-4701
Fax: 906-786-5853
Region 14
Senior Resources
Dee Scott, Director
Cheryl Snow, Program Director
255 West Sherman Boulevard
Muskegon Heights, Michigan 49444
Tele: 231-739-5858
Fax: 231-739-4452
HHS, Health Options, Inc.
Denise L. Zoeterman, Director
Steven Velzen-Haner, Clinical Director
5363 44th Street, S.E.
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49512
Tele: 800-447-3007
616-956-9440
Fax: 616-285-2583