Programs to pay child to take care of sick parents

Laws and regulations vary by state. But some will provide at least some pay for family members who provide care. It takes some research and digging to uncover the resources you need. Getting a paycheck for being a family caregiver is not easy. Here are some government programs that are worth looking into, however, because every bit helps.

www.agingcare.com/Featured-Stories/120513/10-Government-Programs-You-Can-Access-for-Mom-or-Dad.htm

Also, be sure to check out the links that our wise members have provided earlier in this post: www.n4a.org and www.benefitscheckup.org - they're great resources, and could help you uncover some money you're entitled to.

I have an elderly friend who is in the nursing home. She wants to come and live with me. She has been a friend of our family for over 20 years. She is asking me to seek out programs that would pay me to stay home and care for her full time. I believe she said it was costing Medicaid 6000.00 per month to stay in the nursing home. She said she had heard of programs that Medicaid would be glad to pay someone that could save them some of these monies. Any information would be helpful.
Thank You
Ramona Johnson

Hi Ramona,

You didn't say what state you lived in - which will make a difference. If you write back maybe someone from your state who is well versed in the rules can answer.

As far as the general question - - - If your friend is able to go through the process and does qualify for Medicaid it is important to understand that state programs typically do not pay in home caregivers for the entire day like the nursing home. as an example: The medicaid program in my state calculates total time based on the tasks required for ADL (assisted daily living) - - an example would be granting 15 minutes per load to do laundry - or 30 minutes for bathing. So the SW would come out - do an assessment and grant you X hours per month once the deductible was met based on your friend's monthly income - - the short answer is that you should call your area council on aging and talk to a specialist on the best way to proceed and whether it would be feasible. If you need help finding a specialist, call local senior centers - don't let someone offer to help you for a fee.

I live in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both of my parents are retired and on Medicare. My father has some health issues, has been in and out of the hospital, and has fallen several times at home. I since have moved in with them to care for my father. Is there any programs that will pay me to stay home with them during the day as I am now looking for a night job.

Thank you, AgingCareEditor. I have been slapped on the wrist by agingcare.com e-mail form letter for including my personal e-mail in a post and informing me that my post had been deleted. I think members should be allowed to share a personal e-mail as bbygirlpotter22 has done if they are wanting to share information privately relative to caregiving. I am hoping that bby's post is not deleted as mine was. I think it is safe to say that everyone knows that anyone who posts to the Internet posts to a public venue with high online security risks. That said, caregiving is a topic where occasionally some caregivers may feel more comfortable sharing something privately from caregiver-to-caregiver rather than to a public mesage board. Wanted to offer one viewpoint on agingcare.com's policy and practice. I fully enjoy the board and wish to share a personal opinion only.

I live in Arvada, Colorado and my mother stays home to care for my two children while I go to work. One of them has had a liver transplant and she is now also taking care of my 86 yr old grandmother who recently had congestive heart faliure and her heart just stopped. She had a pace maker put in and now my mom is trying to care for my kids when I am at work and also my grandmother. I was wondering if you knew of any programs that would pay my mom for caring for my grandmother since she does not want anyone else to.

I took care of my Mom for 6 years in Arizona. She had a case manager through her insurance company (through the state), and I was able to get paid 20 hours a week taking care of her. The catch was that I had to have caregiver training, which I did. Check on whatever insurance she has and ask. Most times these programs are available and noone knows it. I still had to work full time but the extra pay really helped.

Thanks :) I will have her check into this.

i stay with my mom who has parkenson in the day so my father can work . we are trying to keep from sending her to a nursing home .can i get any help in tennessee? kay

My parents have lived with my husband and I for 19 1/2 years. Nine years ago my dad died