I am retired and have more time to care for my mom with Alzheimer's. Can I be a paid caregiver for supplemental income? She's non-Medicaid.

cwheel,

Your mother's gifting you without a contract will backfire in the 5 year look back if she ever needs Medicaid for each year's of gifting will need to be paid on her nursing home care before Medicaid will approve her.

If you are in California, look up IHSS (In Home Support Services). They will pay you minimum wage to assist your loved one. The LO will need to sign your time card.
You will need to go to a class and be fingerprinted ($36.).

cwheel, I believe a caregiver contract, specifying realistically what she will pay for rent, share of utilities, food, etc., as well as caregiving duties, is a better way of doing it. That way, should Medicaid come into the picture, it would be clear that there was no gifting, but reasonable payment for services.

I forgot to add we came up with this form of payment so I could quit working and care for her full time in our home.

I am receiving money from my mother the elder attorney told me in our state she can gift me 14,000 a year and that my husband can also receive that much for a year. That is how she is paying us to care for her.

You can become her paid caregiver if she is competent to sign a business contract between the two of you that she will pay you ___ for doing ___ as her caregiver.