What Is Attendant Care? A Guide for Arizona DDD Families

Attendant Care is one of the most widely used services Arizona DDD families rely on — and for good reason. It provides the hands-on, day-to-day support that helps a person with a developmental disability stay safe, healthy, and comfortable in their own home. If you’re new to DDD or just hearing about this service, here’s everything you need to know.

What Attendant Care Covers

Attendant Care (sometimes called “total care”) provides the support a person needs to remain in their own home and take part in work or community life. A trained provider helps with the everyday tasks the individual can’t safely or fully do on their own, such as:

• Bathing, grooming, and hygiene
• Dressing
• Toileting
• Eating and feeding
• Meal preparation
• Light housekeeping that keeps the home safe and sanitary
• Mobility assistance and help moving around the home

The goal is straightforward: help the person have a safe and clean home, stay healthy, and eat well.

Two Versions: Attendant Care and Attendant Care Supervision

It’s worth knowing there are two variations of this service:

• Attendant Care provides hands-on assistance with personal-care tasks the person can’t do independently — feeding, bathing, grooming, toileting, meal prep, and so on.
• Attendant Care Supervision provides constant supervision for individuals who can’t safely be left alone.

Your Support Coordinator and team determine which fits your loved one’s needs during the planning process.

Who Qualifies for Attendant Care?

Attendant Care is available to individuals who are enrolled with DDD and approved for funding through the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS). Approval is based on need. Your DDD Support Coordinator, along with you as the parent or guardian, completes a needs assessment — usually based on an interview and observation — to determine the level of support required. It’s approved for people of various ages and disabilities who meet DDD’s criteria.

If you’re still working through eligibility, start with our guides on applying for DDD and how ALTCS funds these services.

How Are Attendant Care Hours Decided?

The number of hours you’re authorized isn’t arbitrary — it comes out of a formal assessment your Support Coordinator conducts, which feeds into your Person-Centered Service Plan (PCSP). The plan reflects the individual’s specific needs and is reviewed regularly. If your loved one’s needs change, the authorization can be revisited.

We cover this in detail in our article on how many hours of care you can get through DDD, including recent changes to how children’s hours are assessed.

Who Provides Attendant Care?

Attendant Care is delivered by trained Direct Care Workers who work for a DDD-registered provider agency (a “Qualified Vendor”). Providers must complete the state-mandated Direct Care Worker training and meet ongoing requirements.

Here’s something many families love: you can often choose who provides the care. In many cases, a family member, friend, or trusted person can be hired and trained as your provider through an agency — and in some situations, parents of minor children can even be paid to provide this care. We explain the rules in Can I Get Paid to Take Care of My Child?.

Getting Started With Attendant Care

Once your loved one is DDD-eligible and ALTCS-approved:

1. Talk with your Support Coordinator about your need for Attendant Care.
2. Complete the needs assessment so the appropriate hours can be authorized.
3. Choose a provider agency to deliver the service.
4. Schedule shifts with your provider, staying within the hours DDD has authorized.

If you use providers from more than one agency, your Support Coordinator will need to split your authorized hours between them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between Attendant Care and Habilitation? Attendant Care focuses on doing daily tasks with or for the person — bathing, feeding, hygiene. Habilitation focuses on teaching skills to build independence. Many families receive both. See our habilitation guide for more.

Can a family member provide Attendant Care? Often, yes. A family member, friend, or other trusted person can be hired and trained through a provider agency, as long as they meet the training and background requirements.

How many hours will we get? It depends on your loved one’s assessed needs. There’s no flat number — it’s determined through your Support Coordinator’s assessment and your service plan.

Does Attendant Care cost anything? For individuals approved through ALTCS, these services are covered. Your Support Coordinator can explain any specifics for your situation.

Looking for compassionate Attendant Care in Arizona? We are a DDD-registered agency that helps families get quality, reliable support at home — and we can help you bring on a trusted caregiver you already know. Contact us to get started.

This article is for general information and isn’t legal or medical advice. Program rules change; confirm current details with your DDD Support Coordinator or at des.az.gov.