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Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services will cover the costs of your home care and allow you to choose a family member to be your paid caregiver.
Perhaps the most common scenario is when elderly parents with a disability have children who are their caregivers. A child can get paid to care for their parent (mother or father). However, the process for applying for government assistance for people with family caregivers, and the eligibility rules that govern who qualifies are often unclear. We have developed this guide to help you understand how the program works, answer your questions, and give you the tools you’ll need to enroll.
The information provided in this guide is for the “Community Healthchoices” program which is by far the largest program available for this type of service. However, there are other programs that may be more appropriate for your particular situation.
Clinical Eligibility
This means that you must be determined to require home care. While there are many technical aspects to this, we recommend that you ask yourself if you need home care before applying.
Financial Eligibility
Financial eligibility is broken down into two parts: income and assets.
Non-Married Consumers qualify for services if their monthly income is less than $2,382 and their assets are less than $8,000. Married consumers are allowed higher limits depending on their circumstances. Additionally, consumers with income above the limits can often still qualify for services by what is know as “spend-down”.
Calculations for financial eligibility can become quite complex and we have not attempted to break down every circumstance. Please note, however, that consumers that avoid applying because they think they are ineligible financially may well be doing themselves a disservice. In many cases, it may be worthwhile to apply and to receive a determination. You will then gain insight into your options. Additionally, some consumers may benefit from seeking professional counsel to learn their eligibility options.
Not all consumers receive the same number of hours. In fact, there are often vast differences between consumers in the number of hours for which they are approved. Usually, your Medicaid Managed Care Organization (MCO) will make the final determination on how many hours of care you will receive coverage for.
Your caregiver’s hourly pay rate and salary may depend on a number of factors.
Yes. Children can get paid for taking care of their parents.
Spouses are not allowed to be paid caregivers as they are considered legally responsible for each other.
It depends. Parents can get paid for taking care of adult children. However, parents cannot get paid to care for minor children for whom they are legally responsible.
Yes. Grandparents can get paid for taking care of their grandchildren.
Yes. A child can get paid for taking care of their mother (mom).
Yes. A child can get paid for taking care of their father (dad).
Spouses are not allowed to be paid caregivers as they are considered legally responsible for each other.
Spouses are not allowed to be paid caregivers as they are considered legally responsible for each other.
Yes. Family caregivers are required to have the same level of training as any other caregiver. But don’t worry if your family member has not yet received training. We can help with the training and certification process and it is usually not a big inconvenience.
Unfortunately, Medicare does not provide significant coverage for non-medical home care (also referred to as “custodial” or “personal care”). This includes such care received from family members. However, having Medicare is certainly not a reason that you do not qualify. You can have Medicare and also apply for Pennsylvania’s Community Healthchoices program.
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