Expert Answer by Joseph L. Matthews
It's possible to get regular payments for providing care for a housebound family member, depending on the family member's income and assets, need for care, and the state he or she lives in. Public assistance programs in many states can provide payment directly to a low-income person who is determined to need in-home care. The person who receives this payment may use it to pay a relative, or anyone else of that person's choosing, to provide care. The care can be provided in the home of either the caregiver or the person who needs care.
This type of direct payment for in-home care comes from a program often called Cash and Counseling (though it has different names in different states). It is usually run through the state's Medicaid program. If your housebound family member has low income and few assets other than a home, he or she might qualify for Medicaid coverage of in-home care.
Normally, Medicaid would provide that kind of care through a certified home care agency. But these special programs instead directly pay the person needing care -- the payment is same amount Medicaid would pay an aide from a home care agency. The person receiving this payment may turn around and use it to pay a family member, or anyone else, to provide the in-home care. In many programs, the money may also be used to make home improvements for safety or comfort, or to buy personal care items.
To learn more about these programs -- only some states have them -- go to the page on this site called How to Get Paid for Being Your Parent's Caregiver. You can help your family member apply for this assistance program, if your state has one, at a local Medicaid office. To find the local Medicaid office near you, contact the Eldercare Locator by phone toll-free at (800) 677-1116. Or go online to any search engine and type in Medicaid and the name of your state.
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GREAT QUESTION! IT WOULD MAKE SO MUCH SENSE TO HAVE A PROGRAM THAT THE GOVT PAID FOR, THAT LKEPT A LOVED ONE AT HOME INSTEAD OF IN A SNAKE PIT.iMAGINE, IF YOU HAD A PARENT WHO WAS TERMINALLY ILL; AND MY P.I.T.S. PROGRAM EXISTED, [ PITS= PIE-IN-THE-SKY-]:AND
1. ASSUME AMERICANS WERE FREE OF FRAUD AND DON'T LIE.
2. IF YOU JUST FILED A TAX RETURN FOR THE PRIOR YEAR [REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE TAX WAS PAID, .JUST FILED IS ENOUGH, AND U
3. YOU HAD A PARENT WHO WAS CERTIFIED BY A GOV'T MD AS BEING UNABLE TO CARE FOR HER/HIMSELF; AND U CERTIFIED THAT YOU COULD PROVIDE SHELTER, FOOD, MEDS ETC, THEN YOFOR THEW PITS!! AND ENTITLED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR ALL $$ ACTUALLY SPENT PLUS AN AMOUNT FOR RENT - ADJUSTED FOR WHERE YOU LIVE- AND A % FOR FOOD, PLUS $100.00 PER MONTH CASH FOR STUFF NOT ITEMIZED...
I WOULD BET MY LIFE THAT THE TOTAL COST TO THE FED GOVT WOULD BE BILLIONS LESS THAN THE COST OF BEING AT WAR IN IRAQ AND AFGANSTAN. AND WHILE WE WOULD BE PUTTING SOME PEOPLE OUT OF WORK, THEY WOULD BE RESORBED BY THE REALITY THAT THEY NEEDED TO RETRAIN AND TRANSFER THEIR SKILLS...ETC
SURE THIS IS FILLED WITH PROBLEMS BUT LET'S SEE IF WE CAN MAKE SOMETHBING POSITIVE FROM IT. INSTEAD OF SHOOTING IT DOWN INSTANTLY. INSTEAD OF DOING THAT, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU READERS, TAKE IT APART AND BUILD IT UP, PART BY PART. AT LEAST JUST TRY TO DO THAT FOR AN HOUR...I;'D BET WEE WOULD BE AMAZED AT THE RESULT...
Answer
Another possibility exists, if either of your parents qualify. There is a program offered through the Veterans' Administration for veterans and their spouses (whether the eligible veteran is living or not) - IF the veteran qualifies. An eligible veteran may qualify for Pension if s/he served at least one day during a declared war (regardless of whether or not s/he served in combat). An additional "Aid and Attendance" benefit is available if the veteran is disabled or needs custodial care, and children can be compensated to provide bonafide care to the veteran. Consult your local VA office for more information. However, beware - many local offices do not provide much information for this benefit - be sure to dig for the facts.
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The above expert answer is pretty good. But there is another angle here that you might not have thought of. That is veterans benefits. If you are caring for a parent that is a veteran there are even more benefits available. Check out this story for more info.
Good Luck,
Bill
Answer
There's more than one way to be paid. In the District of Columbia, Medicaid will not put a lien on a house where a family member is living there too and providing home health care, even if they are receiving Medicaid assistance with paying home health aides.
Another way is to deed the house to the caretaking child in exchange for lifetime care. This document would need to be drafted carefully, but definitely can be done. The key to this method of compensation is to alert all hopeful beneficiaries to the transaction so there is no fighting later.
Christine Axsmith, Esq.
www.Axsmith.net
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