How Do You Get Paid To Care For A Family Member?

Family caregiving is normally an unpaid role. You’re volunteering your time and energy to support a loved one.

However, long-term unpaid caregiving is often impractical. The costs get too high too quickly. Your family member’s needs may also increase to the point that you can’t hold down a regular job.

The most powerful solution is to get paid to care for a family member.

This way, you’re not trying to juggle providing support and holding down a job. You’re instead able to simply focus on being a caregiver.

Can You Get Paid to Care for a Family Member?

The short answer to this question is yes, people can get paid to care for a family member. This includes caring for an aging parent, an aunt, or someone more distant. Sometimes, you can even get paid to care for your spouse.

Much of the time, this payment comes through Medicaid, where seniors on Medicaid have some funding to pay for in-home care. Often they are able to choose who they hire as a caregiver, which can allow them to hire a family member to provide care.

This means that:

• In most situations, the senior needs to be Medicaid-eligible for you to get paid as a caregiver. As such, they’ll need to meet all the Medicaid requirements, including income-related ones.
• They’ll also need to meet requirements for in-home caregiving support, which includes having significant medical needs.
• The requirements vary from one state to the next and can be complicated.
• The amount you can earn and any restrictions also vary state-by-state.

Some non-Medicaid programs pay caregivers as well. Long-term health insurance can also sometimes be helpful. The availability of such approaches vary, as do the requirements.

This means that you’ll need to look for advice that’s specific to your state.

Check out our post on how to pay for a caregiver for more details about specific programs and what you can expect.

What Can You Expect?

States that do pay family caregivers often pay somewhere from $600 to $1,000 per week.

California is particularly powerful in this arena, offering more support than most other states. However, some states provide much less support.

The best way to learn your options is to start stepping through the processes. Seek experts in your local area, ones that are aware of current regulations and requirements, and can help to guide you.

What If Their Income Is Too High?

Most programs that pay family members to care for seniors have income requirements. Seniors whose incomes fall above the income threshold may not be eligible.

Medically Needy Seniors

One exception is seniors who are defined as “medically needy”, where their medical expenses significantly decrease their financial resources.

Such programs aren’t present in all states and the rules vary from one state to the next. Differences are particularly dramatic in terms of the asset limits and how large their medical expenses need to be.  

In general, though, the programs have a “spend down” period, during which income and expenses are considered (generally between one and six months). If medical expenses decrease income enough within this window, then the individual becomes eligible for Medicaid.

Medicaid is complicated, with many guidelines and requirements, so you must talk to an expert. They’ll be able to determine how the rules apply to your situation.

Paying Out of Pocket

If your aging parent isn’t eligible for Medicaid because of income or assets, they may be able to pay for care themselves.

This could mean paying you to be their caregiver or someone else.

There’s no getting around it; this is an emotionally fraught area. Many adult children would be uncomfortable about asking for payment for providing help – and many aging parents would find the idea offensive.

Let’s be realistic, though.

You can’t afford to give up your own work and retirement savings to support them, especially not if they have money to spare.

If they are resistant to the idea, then perhaps you step back for a time. Have them hire someone to do the tasks that you normally do for them, like mowing the lawn or cooking meals.

Remember too that being their child shouldn’t mean that you become their slave.

If you are taking this approach, then it’s crucial that you get things down in writing. Don’t rely on a verbal agreement, as people forget and may interpret things differently.

It’s best to develop a legal agreement, one that protects everyone involved and means that everyone is on the same page right from the beginning.   

Other Things to Think About

Despite the obvious benefits, getting paid to care for your family member isn’t always the right move.

What About a Different Caregiver?

First of all… if your family member can pay you as a caregiver (whether through Medicaid, another program, or their own money), they’re not required to hire you specifically.   

They could use that same money to hire a different family member or someone else entirely.

Doing so could be a better choice.

Even without the financial pressure, caregiving is no easy feat. It can be exhausting and overwhelming. It can also alter the relationship between you and your family members, sometimes leading to resentment and even anger.

Perhaps it’s better for them to hire someone for some tasks and leave you free to be their child, not their caregiver. Doing so gives you much more free energy for your own life and theirs, potentially leading to an improved relationship.

There’s no right or wrong answer. The best approach will depend on your situation and the people involved.

The important thing is to take the time and think things through. Doing this also means that if you do decide to step into the caregiving role, you’re doing it by choice, not because you think you should.

What Are You Agreeing To?

If you’re going to get paid to care for a family member, there are likely to be some rules and requirements for you to follow.

After all, getting paid to provide a service is quite different than helping a family member out. You might find that your caregiving duties increase or that there are some surprising expectations.

Make sure you know exactly what you’re getting into before you agree to anything.

Your Relationship May Change

Being paid as a caregiver also changes the power dynamic within the caregiving relationship.

You’re probably still going above and beyond to provide support for them, but they may not see it that way. Some family members may start to see themselves more as your employer, which could then shift the way they interact with you.

This won’t always happen, but it’s worth considering.

What’s your family member’s personality like? Are they likely to take advantage of you if the power dynamic changes?

Leaving Caregiving May Become More Difficult

Finally, if you’re being paid to care for a family member, you may not have the option of simply stopping. There are probably hoops to jump through, including giving adequate notice or making sure there is someone to take over from your role.

This means that if things get overwhelming and you’re burnt out, you may not simply be able to walk away.

This could easily become a problem, especially if you’re supporting a difficult or stubborn parent.  

Who Are You Caring For?

Some states have restrictions about specifically who you can get paid to care for. Most of the time, you’ll be fine to care for an aging parent or a more distant family member.

Couples have fewer options. Sometimes you can get paid to care for your spouse, but many states don’t allow this.

Final Thoughts

Getting paid to care for a family member is viable, particularly if they’re eligible for Medicaid.

However, it takes time to get this set up and requirements vary from one state to the next. You may need to enlist the help of an expert to help you navigate the processes and make sure everything is above board.

Also remember that getting paid to provide care only addresses the financial side of caregiving. The role is still a draining one – and you may even end up spending more than you’re getting paid.

Finally, it’s important to get advice and pay close attention to the requirements of the care you’ll be providing. What changes if you’re getting paid as a caregiver? What remains the same? What are your rights? It’s crucial that you know the answers to these questions before you commit to anything.