The emotional and physical stress of caring for a loved one can be overwhelming, especially if they’re entering hospice or home health. You want to do what’s best for your family member. You want to provide them with the support they need and the support that they’ve shown you over the years.
To make matters worse, your income is needed to keep the household afloat. Whether you are the sole breadwinner in the family or just a necessary contributor, you find it almost impossible to take care of your loved one AND maintain your current employment.
For information on getting your loved one into a Las Vegas hospice,
Call us (702) 509-5276
Can You Get Paid for Taking Care of an Elderly Parent or Relative?
All 50 states allow qualified individuals to manage their own care through Medicaid’s Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) programs. Some states and situations even allow a family member or friend to be paid as a full-time caregiver for the person.
States That Support Self-Directed Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS)
Nearly all states support some kind of LTSS program (You can find a full list here). However, not all of these states perform the same way. Washington, Minnesota, Vermont, Oregon, and Alaska are the best ranking states for easy, affordable, and quality care programs for older adults and those with disabilities. You can find rankings here based on the study funded by AARP, The Commonwealth Fund, and The Scan Foundation.
***Unfortunately, Nevada is among the bottom quartile for the factors that the “Scorecard” chose to evaluate, and for this reason, it may be a good idea to consult with a healthcare advocate to find out what your options may be.
Can You Get Paid for Taking Care of an Elderly Parent in Nevada?
There are two programs in Nevada the support in-home care for individuals who need assistance: Medicaid’s Personal Care Services (PCS) program and Nevada Medicaid’s Home and Community Based Waiver Program (HCB) which helps older individuals avoid being placed in a nursing home:
- Through HCB, participant direction of services is extremely limited. While it allows participants to choose from approved service providers for personal home care services, it does not allow individuals to hire family members.
- Under the PCS program however, siblings and adult children may be paid as caregivers. This program excludes spouses and any other Legally Responsible Individuals from being hired.
If your loved one is a resident of the state of Nevada and needs assistance with Activities of Daily Living due to a disability or health issue, you may be able to be a paid caregiver for them. There are also financial criteria which must be taken into consideration before a determination will be made.
How to Become a Paid Caregiver at Home
If you are interested in becoming a paid caregiver to a loved one, understanding the process will make it easier and quicker to navigate. There are a few possibilities to investigate:
- Does your loved one have the money to pay you out of pocket for services? If so, create a contract that includes how much you will be paid and what will be expected of you. An elder care lawyer can review your contract and make sure that it is written properly and meets tax requirements.
- Long-term care insurance will sometimes pay family members for providing caregiving services. Speak to their insurance agent to understand their benefits and always get it in writing.
- If your loved one cannot pay you out of pocket, and they do not have an insurance policy that covers this service, you will need to go through Medicaid.
According to AARP, in order to be paid as a caregiver through Medicaid, you need to follow a four-step process:
- Contact your state’s Medicaid office to confirm that your family member qualifies and to begin the process.
- The applicant will be assessed through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid based on their need, risks, strength, abilities, and their preferences.
- A written service plan must be created which will outline the assistance that is needed on a daily basis. This may include: mobility, personal care, household chores, cooking, medication compliance, transportation, and shopping.
- Once these steps have been completed, the individual can choose a caregiver.
Caring for a loved one will always be emotionally and physically taxing. However, the financial stress may be lessened if a caregiver is able to leave their job and be paid to care of their family member.
