WestMass ElderCare, Inc., a private, non-profit corporation, contracts with MA Executive Office of Elder Affairs, to administer homecare programs for persons 60 years or older residing in Holyoke, Chicopee, South Hadley, Granby, Belchertown, Ware and Ludlow. WestMass ElderCare, Inc. invites interested parties to submit proposals for the provision of in-home and community-based services for its elder consumers for the period commencing October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2027. Applicants may submit applications for one or more services.
Bidders’ Conference: Tuesday, April 16th 2024 at WestMass ElderCare from 10:30-12. A review of the RFP will start at 10:30, followed by a Q&A session.
All completed applications must be submitted via the WestMass ElderCare website no later than 4:00 p.m., Friday May 24th 2024. Proposals will not be accepted after that time. Hardcopy, faxed or emailed applications will not be accepted.
Proposals will be evaluated based on criteria including but not limited to: references, responsiveness to RFP, quality of service, experience, reliability of service, pricing, and diversity certification with the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office (formerly SOMWBA).
This Request for Proposals does not commit WestMass ElderCare, Inc. to award a contract. Any and all contracts or provider agreements, are subject to review and approval by the Board of Directors for WestMass ElderCare, Inc. WestMass ElderCare, Inc., reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, request more information or call for new proposals at any time during the process, and waive any formality in the bidding in the best interest of WestMass ElderCare, Inc. Bids from Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), Minority and Women Nonprofit Organizations (M/WNPOs), Veteran Business Enterprises (VBEs), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprises (SDVOBEs), Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBEs), and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs) are encouraged.
Information to bidders regarding completion of Supplier Diversity Office certification is available through WestMass ElderCare, Inc. AA/EEO.
For more information, contact Kyle Scott, Contracts and Compliance Manager, WestMass ElderCare, Inc., 4 Valley Mill Road, Holyoke, MA 01040, 413-538-9020 or by email at kscott@wmeldercare.org.
Important requirements for all applications:
-Hand-written applications will not be accepted.
-Applications sent by mail, email or fax will not be accepted, only applications submitted electronically through the link on the WestMass ElderCare website will be accepted.
-Applications must be submitted by the deadline of Friday May 24th 2024.
Personal Care Homemaker Contracts and the NOI
The Personal Care Homemaker contracting process is initiated by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs through the https://noi.800ageinfo.com. Your online NOI application with EOEA must be up to date. Please note that EOEA timelines and deadlines for personal care homemaker contracts may differ from the WestMass ElderCare Non-Homemaker contract process.
Extended Hour Service Plans
Providers of personal care homemaking services are strongly encouraged to include discounted rates for extended hour services (with exception for Home Health Aide rate) with their rate submission for FY2025. Extended hour service plans are those that consist of more than 42 hours per week of personal assistance services (Home Health Aide, Personal Care, Supportive Home Care Aide, Homemaker, and Companion.)
Supportive Home Care Aide
Providers are strongly encouraged to submit an application for Supportive Home Care Aides.
Clustered Services in Supportive and Congregate Housing
WestMass ElderCare authorizes services for residents of several Supportive and Congregate Housing facilities. Currently, services are being clustered in the housing sites in the WestMass ElderCare service area: Fairhaven and Birch Bark Apartments in Chicopee; Hubert Place in South Hadley, St. Joseph Residence Supportive Housing, Mt. Marie Supportive Housing in Holyoke, Stevens Memorial Housing and Mill 10 in Ludlow, and Holyoke Congregate Housing. WestMass ElderCare is seeking proposals interested in providing PCHM, On-Call and a variety of non-homemaker services such as translation services exclusively in these buildings. If your agency is interested in being the sole provider in one or more of these buildings, please provide a detailed narrative describing your interest and qualifications, explaining how your agency can assure high-quality, consistent services for consumers and residents.
Homemaker and Non-Homemaker Contracts
Current Providers/New Applicants of Homemaker and Non-Homemaker Services: please respond as follows:
Please complete the application materials for all the non-homemaker services that your organization seeks to provide. To obtain the application materials, download them from the WestMass ElderCare website. All contract application materials are required to be submitted electronically to WMEC, no later than 4 p.m. Friday, May 24th 2024, and include:
Letter of Intent
All required policies and procedures
Service-Specific Application(s) – one for each service applied for
Current Certificate of Insurance
If your organization currently contracts with WMEC and is interested in providing any new, non-homemaker services, please complete the required application materials, available from the WestMass ElderCare website. Applications for new non-homemaker services must be received by WestMass ElderCare by 4:00 p.m. May 24th 2024.
For technical assistance, contact the WestMass ElderCare Contracts and Compliance Manager Kyle Scott at (413) 538-9020 or email kscott@wmeldercare.org. A Bidder’s Conference will be held at WestMass ElderCare on April 16th 2024 from 10:30-12.
Current provider agencies who DO NOT wish to continue contracting with WMEC should notify WMEC, in writing, no later than May 24th 2024.
Supplier Diversity Office Certification
Bids from Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), Minority and Women Nonprofit Organizations (M/WNPOs), Veteran Business Enterprises (VBEs), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprises (SDVOBEs), Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBEs), and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs) are highly encouraged. For more information, or to register your business in the Supplier Diversity Program, please visit: Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) | Mass.gov
Frail Elder Waiver Provider Enrollment
State Home Care provider agencies are now required to enroll as a provider with the MassHealth Program, with an assigned MassHealth Waiver Provider number (contracting agencies provide services to individuals who are enrolled in WestMass ElderCare’s Frail Elder HCBS Waiver Program). If your company has not yet completed the Frail Elder Home and Community Based Services Waiver Provider Application, this will need to be completed after a contract offer is extended. Current providers with a MassHealth provider number must re-enroll with their Lead ASAP agency. See MassHealth Enrollment Documentation – Frail Elder Waiver – HNOI Announce (800ageinfo.com) to review the forms.
Sample Contract Documents and Service Descriptions
Revised Homemaker Standards and Personal Care Guidelines Attachment A
Approved In-Home and Community-Based Services FY25.26.27
Important Notices
EOEA PI 97 55 Client Privacy and Confidentiality
EOEA-PI-03-17 Elder Rights Review Committee
PI-20-01 Home Health Services Protocol
OIG Provider Obligation to Screen Employees
Learn about suspended or excluded MassHealth providers | Mass.gov
Provider Network Quality Assurance Manual
Legal Notice
Apply:
Once you have reviewed all the above materials AND the necessary documents are complete, click here or on the SurveyMonkey link below to fill out and submit your application. Please note: You will not have the option to save and return at a later date once you start the form.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KP93F59
Problems with this page? Contact Kyle Scott, Contracts and Compliance Manager, WestMass ElderCare, Inc., 4 Valley Mill Road, Holyoke, MA 01040, 413-538-9020 or by email at kscott@wmeldercare.org.
©2023 WestMass ElderCare, Inc.
All rights reserved.
WestMass ElderCare is a private, non-profit agency founded in 1974 which is funded in part by grants and contracts from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs. We are part of a network of Aging Services Access Points and Area Agencies on Aging.
WestMass ElderCare is a member of the Pioneer Valley Aging and Disabilities Resource Consortium.
