League of Human Dignity Nebraska: Services, Waiver Changes, and What It Means for Your Family

What the League of Human Dignity Does

The League of Human Dignity is a nonprofit Center for Independent Living that has served Nebraska since 1971. It provides services designed to help people with disabilities and elderly Nebraskans live independently — including skills training, peer counseling, advocacy, assistive technology support, and community integration services.

For families navigating a parent's transition from hospital to home or long-term care, the League has historically played a direct role in two critical areas: conducting Nursing Facility Level of Care (NF-LOC) assessments for Aged and Disabled Waiver eligibility and providing service coordination for waiver participants.

The 2026 Service Coordination Transfer

As of April 1, 2026, the League of Human Dignity ceased providing Service Coordination for the Aged and Disabled (AD) Waiver. All service coordination duties transferred directly to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

This is a significant operational change for families. Previously, the League's service coordinators were the primary point of contact for waiver participants — helping arrange home care, respite services, assisted living supports, and monitoring service delivery. Now, DHHS case managers fill that role.

The transition has created administrative backlog. Families report delays in being assigned a new state case manager and gaps in communication during the handoff. If your parent is currently enrolled in the AD Waiver or has a pending application, confirm that a DHHS service coordinator has been assigned by calling your parent's local DHHS office directly. Don't assume the assignment happened automatically.

The NF-LOC Assessment Role

The League of Human Dignity, along with local Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), continues to conduct the clinical assessments that determine whether an individual meets Nursing Facility Level of Care criteria — the clinical gateway to the AD Waiver.

These assessments use the standardized interRAI tool and evaluate:

• Limitations in at least three of seven Activities of Daily Living (bathing, continence, dressing/grooming, eating, mobility, toileting, transferring)
• Co-occurring risk factors (behavioral instability, wandering, extreme frailty)
• Medical conditions requiring active clinical observation
• Cognitive impairments affecting memory, orientation, or communication

Meeting the NF-LOC threshold is separate from financial eligibility. Your parent can qualify clinically but still need to meet Medicaid's $4,000 countable asset limit (or complete a spend-down) before waiver services start.

When to Contact the League

The League of Human Dignity operates out of offices in Lincoln, Omaha, Norfolk, Scottsbluff, and Kearney. Contact them when:

• Your parent needs an NF-LOC assessment for AD Waiver eligibility and your local AAA has a long wait time — the League is an alternative assessment provider
• Your parent has a physical disability and needs assistive technology evaluation, home modification guidance, or independent living skills training
• You need advocacy help navigating DHHS processes or understanding disability rights under Nebraska and federal law

The League also administers the Assistive Technology Partnership, which provides device loans, demonstrations, and funding guidance for adaptive equipment.

Other Key Nebraska Organizations

Families navigating hospital discharge and long-term care transitions often need to work with multiple organizations simultaneously:

• Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs): Regional nonprofits that conduct waiver assessments, provide care management, and connect families to local services. Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging (ENOA) covers the Omaha metro; Aging Partners serves the Lincoln area; Midland Area Agency on Aging covers eight central Nebraska counties
• DHHS Aging Services: The state agency that now handles AD Waiver service coordination and Medicaid eligibility determinations
• Commence Health: The federal QIO for Region 7 that handles Medicare discharge appeals and quality-of-care complaints

Understanding which organization does what prevents wasted time calling the wrong place — a common problem when families are trying to coordinate care under pressure.

Navigating the Full Transition

The League of Human Dignity is one piece of a larger system that includes federal Medicare rules, state Medicaid eligibility, and waiver-funded community care. The Nebraska Hospital Discharge Guide maps the complete sequence — from hospital admission status through discharge appeals, facility selection, waiver applications, and spousal asset protections — with the specific phone numbers, financial limits, and clinical thresholds that apply to Nebraska families.

See more Nebraska guides →