A Clean, Safe Home is the Foundation of Independence: Our Chore Services in the Twin Cities

Independence Starts at Home

What Are Chore Services?

If you're looking for help to stay in your own home safely, you've probably seen the term "chore services" on the Minnesota Department of Human Services website. It's a specific term with a specific meaning — and it's different from regular housekeeping.

The Official DHS Definition

According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services Community-Based Services Manual (CBSM):

Chore services provide assistance to a person or their primary caregiver to help maintain a clean, sanitary and safe environment.

That's the core. Chore services are not about convenience. They are about health, safety, and helping older adults and people with disabilities continue to live independently in their own home.

How Chore Services Are Different From Homemaker Services

DHS is very clear on this distinction

• Homemaker = routine, light household tasks like dishes, laundry, light vacuuming

• Chore services = heavy-duty, intermittent, and often seasonal tasks that require more labor or equipment and directly impact safety

What Counts as a Chore Service in Minnesota?

Under the Elderly Waiver (EW), Alternative Care (AC), Essential Community Supports (ECS), and disability waivers (BI, CAC, CADI, DD), chore services can include:

Heavy Indoor Chores:

• Heavy household chores - securing loose rugs, washing floors, windows and walls

• Rearranging or securing household items in order to prevent injuries or falls

• Moving or removing large household items and heavy appliances in order to provide safe access to and exit from the home

• Packing the person's belongings

Outdoor & Safety Chores:

• General indoor and outdoor home maintenance - snow removal, lawn care, etc.

• Extermination and pest control

• Dumpster rental or refuse disposal

Other common DHS-authorized tasks in this category include clearing walkways of ice and snow, trimming overhanging branches, and cleaning to remove fire and health hazards.

Who Can Get Chore Services?

Chore services are covered when:

1. The person is on a Minnesota waiver (CADI, CAC, BI, DD, EW) or the Alternative Care or Essential Community Supports program

2. Neither the person nor anyone else in the household is able to perform or pay for the task

3. No other person or program is responsible

4. The service is identified in the person's care plan after a MnCHOICES assessment

The service plan determines which services are funded through your waiver or program.

Why Chore Services Matter

A loose rug, a blocked exit, snow-covered steps, or an unsanitary kitchen isn't just inconvenient — it's a fall risk, a fire risk, and a reason someone might have to leave their home for a facility. Chore services solve the one-time or heavy-duty problems that family caregivers can't handle alone and that regular PCA or homemaker hours don't cover.

If you or a loved one is struggling to keep your home safe — not just tidy — ask your case manager specifically about "chore services" in your next support planning meeting.

Let us take care of the chores, so you can focus on living.

Call Us Today at:📞 (651) 321-4949