Getting Paid to Care for Mom

The simple answer is yes, you can be paid by Medicaid to provide care for your mom. However, with many things Medicaid related, the answer is state-specific. Many states offer consumer directed (self-directed) Medicaid programs. These “self-directed benefits”, generally personal care assistance and homemaker services, may be available through Regular State Plan Medicaid or a home and community based services Medicaid Waiver. These participant-directed programs allow Medicaid recipients to choose their own caregiver. Often, the care recipient can hire their adult child, and in some cases, even their spouse, to provide care. In some states, you may have to undergo training to become a home care provider, and in other states, this is not necessary.

Another way that you can be paid for providing care for your mom, though not with cash directly, is with her house as payment via the Caregiver Child Exemption. Simply put, her home can be transferred to you without violating Medicaid’s Look-Back Period in exchange for providing care for her if certain criteria is met. You must have lived with your mom for a minimum of two years immediately prior to her relocation to a nursing home and the provided care must have prevented the need for nursing home placement. It is vital that the care provided be carefully documented.

Learn more about getting paid by Medicaid to provide care for a loved one.