Rumi has been acquired by Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC.
Learn more at
www.dungarvin.com

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any other questions not listed below, please call us at 651-695-5805 or email us at mn-referrals@dungarvin.com.

General Questions

How will I interact on the website or app to find a caregiver roommate? Will I have any assistance with asking questions?

We have a team of Rumi connectors to support you with interacting with potential caregiver roommates on our Rumi platform. They can help you start conversations and ask the right questions to find the perfect supportive roommate for you.  
I am having trouble completing a profile. Can someone help me?

Yes, contact us by clicking here or calling us at 651-695-5805.
What criteria will I be able to search for in a potential Rumi?

You will be able to search the desired living location, age, gender, pets, and what they are looking for in a roommate or roommates.
Does Rumi provide housing?

Rumi does not provide housing.

We encourage all our members to do their own due diligence and look for appropriate housing that works for them and their roommate.

If there are special requirements for housing that are needed, Rumi can assist with ideas, but Rumi will not take part in any of the leasing or rental agreements.
Is Rumi designed for people to move into the caregiver's living space, the space of the individual with disabilities, or would a new space be needed/desired?

Yes, yes, and yes. All 3 scenarios.

1) The person with a disability waiver has an extra room for rent and is looking for a caregiver to move in.

2) The potential caregiver has an extra room for rent and is looking for someone with a disability to move in.

3) Look to find a new location that will work best for both parties. If needed, the Rumi team can assist with finding new housing options that accommodate the needs and wants of both parties.
How long should two interested parties communicate before deciding to become Rumis?

We suggest talking several times and meeting multiple times in public.

Choosing a roommate is a big event for all parties involved, so there will most likely be several face-to-face meetings at coffee shops, restaurants, and other public places to ensure comfort and compatibility.

The Rumi team will provide direction that will help guide both parties through the process of getting to know each other.
I currently have a living space that is perfect, and I do not want to move, and I have an extra bedroom. Can I stay here and have the roommate move in and help with rent?

Yes!
Is there a waiting list for a roommate?

There is no waiting list, you can begin searching on the Rumi platform as soon as you're approved!
What happens if the Rumi/Supportive Roommate does not work out as planned?

Although we do everything to avoid a contract/lease termination, the individual with a disability will stay in the home and the Rumi team will provide fill-in staff while we search for new long-term Rumi.
How do you protect against inappropriate internet bots on the Rumi website?

We require full legal name and phone numbers, so that we can call to verify. We also run background checks through the state criminal court system as well as “Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender” system.

Further, we offer guidance on how to engage with connections to ensure safety. There is zero tolerance for behavior that breaks our rules; those that do engage in inappropriate behavior will be flagged and banned from our system.
What supports will be available?

The Rumi team will take a case-by-case look at each situation to make sure we have the proper supports in place before signing a lease.
Where did the name Rumi come from?

Rumi is a play on “roomie,” as in “roommate”—and it’s pronounced just like “roomie.” Rumi is also a 13th century poet and scholar who famously said: “What you seek is seeking you.”

We feel the same way about finding a perfect match with the Rumi platform.
Does Rumi provide housing or do lease agreements?

No, we are not involved in housing. Clients must secure their own housing, can move in with their supportive roommates or have new supportive roommates move into their homes.
Will I be able to find a roommate with similar interests as me?

Yes, absolutely. We have a team of connectors to assist you with having those kinds of conversations on our Rumi platform.

Rumi (Disability Waiver Holder) Questions

I am an individual with disabilities, but I do not have a disability waiver. What options do I have to find help?

Click here to learn about local resources that may be able to help you obtain a waiver. Click here to learn about housing resources.
What supports will be available?

The Rumi team will take a case-by-case look at each situation to make sure we have the proper supports in place before signing a lease.
Will I have to pay rent as a Rumi? How will I pay rent? How will I find housing? Can I keep my current housing?

Yes, you will share living expenses with your supportive roommate if you are living outside of your family home or if you move into their home. Many of our clients use their social security/disability benefits to help pay the costs of their living expenses, including rent payment.

Rumi is not involved in housing, we can offer ideas, but we are not involved in lease or rental agreements and do not provide housing for clients or their supportive roommates.
What if my supportive roommate goes out of town? Do you have staff available during these times?

Yes, Rumi will provide staffing while your supportive roommate is away. Prior notice must be provided to our team to ensure that there is coverage available in time.

During this period, the supportive roommate will not be paid as services are at a daily rate and won't be covered when services are not provided. Upon the supportive roommates return, the service interruption ends and services start again.

A Rumi may also choose to stay with a family member when their supportive roommate is not providing services.
How does the supportive roommate get paid?

Our supportive roommates are paid through the waiver that the Rumi client is on.
What are the eligibility requirements to use Rumi?

An individual with a disability who is covered under one of the following waivers are eligible for RUMI if they are age 18 and above: CADI waiver, DD waiver, Brain Injury waiver
Can I live with one of my friends and we share a supportive roommate?

Yes, this is a possible arrangement if both individuals are waiver holders, 18 years of age or older, and if the supportive roommate is able to provide the support.
How do you train live-in caregivers? Do you conduct background checks to ensure that the Rumi clients are safe living with these persons?

Rumi conducts background checks and provides training to all eligible supportive roommates before they provide support to our clients.
What if I don't have a waiver yet but I believe I am eligible? How can I go about getting signed up for a waiver? What types of waivers do Rumi clients need to use Rumi services?

You can find out if you are eligible for a waiver through your local county agency or tribe. RUMI provides services for clients on the CADI, DD, or BI waivers.
Can someone become a live-in caregiver with Rumi if they live with a family?

Yes, they can.
How long does it usually take to find a supportive roommate and get services started?

This depends on the pool of supportive roommates that interest you. There is no timeline. It could take two weeks, or it could take two months. Once you find the perfect roommate for you, our team works to get the services approved through your waiver.
Do you help people with all disabilities?

Yes, we do.
Do Rumis ever have to share rooms with their live-in caregivers?

No. All of our clients have their own rooms within the home and we counsel them to ensure that there are separate rooms for both the client and the caregiver.
Can a person with a disability become a supportive roommate?

Yes, they can.

Supportive Roommate (Caregiver) Questions

How is the income tax-free?

The tax law allows individuals who receive payments to exclude them from gross income if all the following conditions are met:

– Payments are made pursuant to a foster care program of a State, and payments are paid by a State or political subdivision thereof, or a qualified agency;
– and payments are paid to a foster care provider for the care of a qualified foster individual in the foster care provider’s home.

Since Rumi is a service that connects two people that live in their own home on their own lease (and not in a group home or institutionalized setting), the income to the care provider is tax-free.

Learn More


FAQs from "Certain Medicaid Waiver Payments May Be Excludable From Income" on IRS.gov website:

Q2. I moved into my elderly mother's home to care for her, and I do not have a separate home where I reside. I receive payments under a state Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services waiver program for personal care and supportive home care. Am I considered to be providing care in "the provider's home" for purposes of Notice 2014-7?

A2. Yes. Under § 131, "the provider's home" means the place where the provider resides and regularly performs the routines of the provider's private life, such as shared meals and holidays with family. See Stromme v. Commissioner, 138 T.C. 213 (2012). In this situation, the mother's home became the provider's home because it is where the provider resides and regularly performs the routines of the provider's private life.


Q4. I am an individual who cares for an unrelated elderly person seven days a week in her home where I live. I receive Medicaid waiver payments for this care. I do not have another home. May I exclude these payments from gross income?

A4. Yes. In this situation, the care recipient's home is also the care provider's home, and the care provider does not have a separate home. Therefore, the Medicaid waiver payments are excludable from the care provider's gross income for the care furnished in the shared home.


Q5. I am the parent of a disabled child, and I receive state Medicaid Home and Community-Based waiver payments excludable from gross income under Notice 2014-7 for the care of my child in our home. My sister lives with me, and she also receives state Medicaid Home and Community-Based waiver payments for the care of my child. May she exclude the Medicaid waiver payments from gross income?

A5. Yes. More than one care provider living in the home with the care recipient may exclude state Medicaid Home and Community-Based waiver payments from gross income under Notice 2014-7.


Q12. I receive payments that are excludable from gross income under Notice 2014-7. Are the payments subject to social security and Medicare taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA)?

A12. Maybe. Whether the payments are subject to social security and Medicare taxes depends on whether you are an employee of the agency, an employee of the individual care recipient, or an independent contractor. If the agency is your employer, the payments are subject to social security and Medicare taxes. See Q&A 18 under Agency Questions. If the care recipient is your employer and these payments are wages for that employment, the payments are subject to social security and Medicare taxes unless one of the exceptions for domestic services applies. See Q&A 19 under Agency Questions. If you are an independent contractor, the payments are not subject to social security and Medicare taxes. See Q&As 13 and 14.Your status as an employee or independent contractor and the identification of your employer (if you are an employee) depend on whether the agency or the care recipient has the right to direct and control how you perform your services. Tax Topic 762, provides information and additional resources on how to determine whether you are an employee and, if so, who your employer is. If you think you are being improperly treated, you can file Form SS-8, Determination of Worker Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding, to have the IRS determine your employment status.If you believe social security and Medicare taxes were withheld in error from your payments, such as because one of the exceptions for domestic services applied, you must first contact the agency that withheld the taxes for a refund. However, if the agency indicates an intention not to file a claim or adjust the overpaid social security and Medicare taxes, you may claim a refund of the erroneously withheld social security and Medicare taxes by filing Form 843, Claim for Refund and Request for Abatement. The requirements for filing a claim for refund of your share of social security and Medicare taxes can be found in the Instructions for Form 843.


Q14. I am a sole proprietor in a business of providing home care services. In my business, I received payments that are excludable from gross income under Notice 2014-7. However, I received a Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income, reporting these payments as income. How should I report to the Service that these payments are excludable from gross income?

A14. You should include the full amount of the payments reported to you on Form 1099-MISC as income on line 1 of Form 1040 (Schedule C). You should then report the excludable amount as an expense in Part V, and write "Notice 2014-7" next to that amount. Even though you are a sole proprietor, because the amounts are excludable from income, they are not self-employment income and are not subject to self-employment tax. Additional Q&As discussing the application of self-employment tax to family caregivers.

**Remember to consult your tax professional with any tax questions.**
How much can I be compensated as a potential caregiver?

Supportive roommates are paid through the waiver that the Rumi client is on.
I am a potential caregiver, and I am worried that I will find a compatible Rumi, but I am not able to provide all the support needed to the individual with disabilities. Can I still participate in Rumi?

Yes! The Rumi team will make sure to find other solutions to provide the support that you cannot fulfill.
I still want to enjoy all the things I enjoy now. Can I do that with my Rumi?

That is the whole point of Rumi: what you seek is seeking you! (Psst—that’s a quote from the poet named Rumi)

There is a match out there for you who has the same interests as you do, wants to live in the same neighborhood, and is looking for a Rumi!
I currently have a living space that is perfect, and I do not want to move, and I have an extra bedroom. Can I stay here and have the roommate move in and help with rent?

Yes!
What happens if I want to take a vacation?

The Rumi team will provide temporary staffing while you are gone.
I'm a potential caregiver, but I don't have any experience in disability services. Can I still sign up?

Yes!

We are looking for people of all backgrounds who think this program would be a good fit for them. We will offer appropriate training so that you’ll be prepared to help support your Rumi.
What can disqualify me from becoming a caregiver?

An individual can be disqualified based on information from Minnesota or any other state that includes:
- a conviction, admission, or Alford plea, to any of the crimes listed in Minnesota Statutes, section 245C.15;
- a preponderance of evidence that the subject committed an act that meets the definition of any of the crimes listed in Minnesota Statues, section 245C.15;
- a finding of substantiated maltreatment of a minor or vulnerable adult that is determined to be serious and/or recurring as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 245C.02.
If I become a caregiver, can I keep my current job?

Yes. You can keep your current job as a caregiver. Supports of all levels are needed.
I have a spouse and family. Can I be a caregiver?

Absolutely! We have folks looking to live with families.

Case Manager Questions

I am a case manager and I’d like to know how funding works.

We work with anyone who has a waiver.

Our services include: IHS with Training, IHS without Training.

Join Rumi

Sign up for an account and start searching for your new roommate.