Can I get paid for taking care of my mom with dementia? It's getting difficult to work.

Depending on the state where you both live, you can get paid but the bigger question might be, "Should I work as my mother's caregiver?" For one, it may mean the state sees you as an employee and there is attendant records to keep and paperwork and taxes to file. For another, it is low wages with no other benefits, no matter how long you work at it. You won't have back-up when you are sick or need a vacation. Often your social life suffers and you run the risk of robbing your own future. Please read the thousands of posts on this forum about caregiver burnout and the effects it has had on peoples' lives.

If your mom cannot afford a nice facility you should consider having her apply for Medicaid. My MIL is in a very nice place on Medicaid. She gets lots of attention and does more things socially than we could ever do for her. Medically she is carefully watched. Your mom won't like it (it's a huge change at that age and with dementia) but again please read the posts about burnout). Wishing you clarity as you make this decision.

You would signing up for years of heartache, and loss of any career, when she passes in many cases the caretaker is left with nothing, no job, no housing, no money and sometimes all alone in the world, relationships burned out and health destroyed.

Perhaps you might reconsider this avenue. If she can self pay, I would look into AL, if not then see if she qualifies for Medicaid. There are many nice homes available which accept Medicaid.

Sit back and think this through, all the way to the end.

Type “paid family caregiver” into the search bar. There are dozens and dozens and dozens of posts about this.

You will not pay into Social Security.
You will not have employee benefits.
You will not have paid holidays.
You will not have overtime.
You will not have worker's compensation.
You will not have disability insurance.
You will not have paid sick time.
You will not have a lot of money.
From everything I understand, it is starvation "wages".

Your question, in myriad incarnations, has been asked and answered many times. Quit your job to become a full time caregiver with eyes wide open.

Think of what will happen if you quit your job to care for her. What will happen in the long term? Eventually your mother will need placement or will pass away, and you’ll need to go back to work. Or, God forbid, you get sick and can’t care for her anymore? How will you keep your home and afford medical treatment?

If you’ve been out of work for years, it’s not likely you can pick up where you left off. You’ll be years behind, while younger people have taken your place. You could get some form of employment... but ending up back at square one when your peers are retiring is going to be a rough experience, and you may never recover the life you have now.

Look into Memory Care communities for your mother before the decision is taken out of your hands anyway. Dementia normally reaches a point where it becomes impossible for in-home care to continue because it's too dangerous and just too much for the caregiver in general. That's why MCs are popping up like flowers everywhere. You'll be without a job and have no future if you don't plan for it carefully.

Good luck!