Getting Paid to Care for Family Members

[agoyer]

One of the most common questions I get from family caregivers who are struggling financially as they care for loved ones is, "Can I get paid to care for my family member?". It's a good question, and there are a few ways to do this:

• A family member can pay from their own private funds - there is no reason they can't pay you, or other family members could chip in to pay you. Just be sure to check with your accountant and/or attorney to see if it can be viewed as a gift or if any taxes that may need to be paid. 
• If your loved one is a Veteran you may be able to be paid through the VA if he/she is eligible - There are some programs from the VA that pay family caregivers to provide care, but they may be limited to the time of service, type of service and whether your loved one has a service-related injury. I encourage you to contact the VA Caregiver Support Program at www.caregiver.va.gov or call 1-855-260-3274 to find out.
• If your loved one is eligible for Medicaid you may be able to be paid to care for him/her - Medicaid is administered by the states, so these options the associated rules vary from state to state. Contact your local Medicaid office or area agency for guidance. There are also some special efforts afoot to get family members paid during the pandemic. 
• If your loved one has long-term care insurance - you may be able to be paid through those funds. Contact the insurance company to find out what the rules and limitations are.
• Some states or individual companies have paid family leave policies  - if you need to take time off work to care for loved ones in some states you can get paid. Check with your human resources department or your state department of labor.  

You'll find more information in the AARP Caregiving Website article on this topic!

Take care,

Amy Goyer, AARP Family & Caregiving Expert

Author, Juggling Life, Work and Caregiving

[2Papa]

Never got paid for caring for any of my family members, nor did I want to.  It’s family!

[BrendaI912467]

I as well never got paid for taking care of my terminally ill child.  My comment was in response to a post in which i interpreted as uncertainty of this situation.  For those of us who have had to endure the exhaustion of financial resources trying to keep a loved one home and out of placement this avenue is helpful.  We all don't come to the table with the same resources.  Depending on which state you live in and what the availability of resources are depending on what the diagnosis is of affected individual plays a significant role.  I could elaborate much more and give significant proof and details of my own situation, but i am not for that is private and very painful to share with a community on line let alone people face to face.  Again, everyone is different and if you are a single parent trying to manage that piece of being able to get income to provide for your family is very different.

[BrendaI912467]

If you get certified as a nursing assistant you can get hired by an agency as an LNA.  This allows you to get paid for caring for a family member.  Often times, a parent will do this for a spouse or a child of their own.  In the state of NH agencies such as; Regency, Maxim, Healthy at Home are a few.  Some of the establishments that provide the training are American Red Cross, LNA carreers, and some techical schools.  I hope this helps your newsletter and population.

[tradingashes]

You may already know there is also another company who can assist with in-home care. I used to be a Client Care Supervisor for an in-home care agency. Veteran’s Care Coordination is not part of the Veteran’s Administration. However, they do help veterans and their spouses. Their web address is https://vcchc.com/.

They as well as the VA only certify a certain amount of hours per month for the patient. VCC is easier and faster to get approved through. You do hav to use an agency for the caregivers. You cannot pay a private caregiver through VCC. I am full time caregiver with my mother who has dementia. I have chosen to go through the VA because I want to chose my own caregivers and they will pay directly to us so that I can pay the caregiver. Thanks! I’m looking forward to reading everything on caregiving. Even though I have been a caregiver many times and been in management, it’s very different when it is your own parent. The line between child and caregiver is a hard dance to learn. Lol

[viviansuber56]

I am a caregiver for my mom who moved in with me in 2019. I live in Charlotte, NC. How can I get certified as  caregiver.

[BrendaI912467]

Hi, I spent the first 3 years of being a single parent with a child who had a degenerative illness and i can tell you each state varies with the criteria.  I suggest doing a search with state of NC and see the sections that detail your resources.  Find out probably under elder care if this is an option for you.  If it is, then you would have to participate in a program to become a certified nursing assistant or a personal care giver.  You would then find out area agencies and have them hire you and they would assign you to be paid to care for your mom.  For example, medicaid gets paid 50.00 an hour so the agency would pay you anywhere from 12-15.00 an hour.  It might be hirer for medicaid depending on your state.  LNA'S are in demand due to shortage so most agencies crave to hire in this capacity.  I hope this helps due to how long it took me to find out resources and avenues to drive down.  

[gm5833]

I have a sister caring for our mother in Texas and is getting paid from Medicaid-10 hours a week.  I heard that Medicaid will reimburse themselves for this by taking it from her estate after she passes.  Does anyone how true this is?