Attendant Care & Replacement Services
Many people ask us, “What is Attendant Care? How is Attendant Care different from Replacement Services?”
There are several differences between Attendant Care and Replacement Services that every No-Fault benefits claimant should be aware of:
- Attendant Care implies “skilled nursing care,” to be administered to the auto accident victim in the comfort of their own home. These “nursing services” can include tasks such as supervising the injured person, administering medications, wound care, assisting with personal hygiene tasks such as bathing, dressing, grooming, bathroom assistance, and transportation for the injured person. An accident victim has the option to contract with a home health company, but in many cases will appoint a family member or friend to care for them instead. Attendant Care is typically claimed at $20 per hour, for however many hours per day the injured person’s physician deems necessary.
- Replacement Services are also known as Household Services. These care services are intended to provide an injured person with household help. Replacement Services include tasks such as sweeping, mopping, or vacuuming the injured person’s home, doing laundry, meal preparation, child care, miscellaneous cleaning, and yard work. The auto insurance company will pay up to $20 per day to reimburse the care provider.
To ensure payment of these care services, auto insurance companies typically require that the injured person’s physician prescribe these care services and that the person providing the care complete monthly affidavits itemizing the services they provided to the claimant.