If you’re one of more than 70 million people who provide unpaid care for a family member or friend, you know that the time and energy it requires can be significant. In fact, it may have become so time consuming that it is affecting your ability to maintain your existing professional responsibilities. If this sounds familiar, it may be possible for you to receive a small, but regular, stipend for the care you are providing.
Here’s how:
- If the parent, spouse, or other person you’re caring for is eligible for Medicaid, its Cash and Counseling program, can provide direct payments that could go to you.
- If the person you’re caring for has long-term care insurance that includes in-home care coverage, in some cases those benefits can be used to pay you.
Cash and Counseling Program: A Cash and Counseling program offers payment directly to home-bound elders or others who have low incomes and few assets other than their home. The payments can then be used to pay a family member, or other independent caregiver, for providing in-home care. In order to be eligible for a Cash and Counseling program, the person you are caring for usually needs to qualify for Medicaid, but there can be exceptions in some cases. To find out how to apply for the Cash and Counseling program, contact the local Medicaid office.
Best Practices: If the person you’re caring for will be paying you from any source, you may want to consider drafting a short contract outlining the terms and conditions of your work and associated payment.
Click here to find an example of the contract. (This contract is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Please contact an Elder Law Attorney.)
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