In the US, there are around 48 million Americans who are unpaid caregivers to a family member. On average, they do this for approximately twenty-four hours a week and usually have to pay out of pocket for their family member’s care.
This care can be highly taxing mentally, physically, and financially. However, there are ways in which you can get paid to care for your family member. Usually, this is most accessible if you are caring for a veteran or person who is a candidate for Medicare. Still, there are also other possibilities.
Care Options for Veterans
If your family member served in the military, there are several programs that you can choose from to get paid as their caretaker. These plans include:
Veteran Directed Care. This program is available in most states, but not all, so make sure it is an option for whichever state you live in. It is made for veterans who may need the level of care provided at a nursing home but prefer living at home and being cared for by their family members.
The veterans association will give a budget of around $2,200 a month for whatever care plan they think befits them. The veteran can choose their caretaker. However, the VA is solely responsible for determining the veteran’s eligibility. Additionally, you will have to report to a center for them to determine if you qualify for this program.
Aid and Attendance benefits. Veterans with a pension are allowed to supplement their pension to hire a caretaker in this program. This person could be a family member but does not need to be. There are four qualifying criteria. The veteran simply needs to qualify for one of them and send in an application to the VA.
Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. People who have sustained an injury in the line of duty on or before 9/11 that hampers their ability to function are eligible for this program. The caretaker either needs to be an adult related to them in some way or be their roommate.
The VA will then give the person of the veteran’s choosing a stipend based on how many hours a week the caregiver works. The income they receive is not taxable. Plus, they get access to health insurance, training, and other benefits.
Housebound benefits. Veterans who are house-bound due to permanent disability can apply to get a pension to supplement this. They would then pay whoever they wanted to help take care of them at their discretion.
Care Options for Medicare Recipients
Each state has its self-directed services for people covered under Medicare. They allow states to give people waivers so that they may manage their own in-home care system. Depending on the state, they can often hire their own family to be their caretaker.
To register for this, you will need to get in contact with Medicare & Medicaid Services. In addition, you will need to present the following to enroll:
- Assessment. Your family member will need to be assessed to ensure that it is medically necessary for them to have a caretaker.
- Plan of action. The person in need of care will need to show what their plan is for care, meaning they must detail their daily living requirements/setup. They will also need to set up contingency plans and line up caregivers to fill in for their primary caregiver as needed.
- Budget. They will need to outline a budget for the care/goods needed for care.
- Selection. The person applying for benefits should outline who it is they are selecting to care for them.
Family Caregivers
If your family member can choose and has the financial resources, they can hire another family member to take care of them at their own discretion. However, this can sometimes make a familial relationship awkward within the power dynamic of paying for care.
To keep things stress-free and clear, it could be a good idea to do the following:
- Draw up an agreement for care
- Hire an elder care lawyer to make sure your agreement is within the law
- Consider hiring a mediator or therapist to facilitate any issues that arise
- Record any and all work you do for your family member
- Report the exchange of money to the IRS
Long-term care Insurance
Long-term care insurance is an interesting option in which you can purchase to cover yourself for the long term. Usually, people will purchase it between the ages of 55 and 64 when they are in reasonably good health.
Most long-term care insurances will provide money for home health care and care providers. However, you must look into the parameters for whatever insurance you or your family member may have because it can restrict family members from being able to be a caregiver.