Family Members as Paid Caregivers: The Medicaid CDPAP Program

Are you providing care for an aging loved one at home and wish you could be paid for the care you provide?

Did you know that Medicaid has a paid family caregiver program that will do just that?

Medicaid offers a program that will pay an hourly wage to family members who are caring for aging parents at home. The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, or CDPAP, offers a flexible way to help older adults remain at home with assistance.

There are very few formal requirements for family members to serve as aides to their parents. Family members simply need to demonstrate an ability to work in the United States (by completing an IRS I-9 form), register with a Medicaid agency that handles CDPAP, and get a physical with their own physician. You don’t even need to quit your current job; working as a family caregiver does not interfere with other employment.

The CDPAP program offers much more flexibility than traditional Medicaid. Traditional Medicaid requires a nurse to issue a plan of care and dictates the schedule of weekly hours provided by an aide. CDPAP, on the other hand, allows the client to choose how to allot the weekly hours based on their own schedule and needs. Family members can work together to make sure that all of their parents’ needs are met and that the plan fits within their own schedules.   

In addition, family members can provide help in areas that aides through traditional Medicaid cannot, such as driving parents to appointments, testing for blood sugar, administering insulin injections, etc.

CDPAP can be a lifeline for those struggling to care for aging loved ones at home. The attorneys at Cona Elder Law have helped hundreds of families access the Medicaid CDPAP program for more than twenty years.

As always, contact us if you have any questions. Our Elder Law attorneys are always available to address your questions and concerns. Call us at 631.390.5000 or click here.