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Dawnmarie1006 Asked February 2016

Are there any programs to help financially compensate a family member who is acting as a caregiver?

Are there any programs for funding to help financially compensate a family member who is acting as a caregiver ?  I'm looking to find out if there is any assistance programs to help pay for a family member who is acting as a 24 hour care giver. My uncle recently suffered from a stroke and a heart attack and now needs 24 hour a day care. We don't have the money to hire a home healthcare service provider so my daughter has moved in with him and providing his 24 hour care. We are looking to find out if there's any assistance that we can get to help pay her something for her time until we figure something else out


 


 

freqflyer Feb 2016
That’s a very common question. Majority of grown children or nieces/nephews do not get paid for caring for their relative, unless the relative is financially able to pay from their own pocket. You would need an employment contract https://www.agingcare.com/documents/personal_care_agreement_AgingCare.pdf just in case in the future your Uncle needs to apply for Medicaid.

Check to see if your State is one that has a “Cash and Counseling” program which is funded either by Medicaid or by State budget. If it is funded by Medicaid, your Uncle would need to qualify for Medicaid. If not funded by Medicaid, there would be different rules. Each State is different on how they handle this, but it is worth looking into to see if you could get a few hours of minimum wage.

On another note, your daughter is going to burn out real quickly working 3 caregiver shifts per day, which adds up to 168 hours per week with very little sleep. Please note that 40% of caregivers die leaving behind the love one they were caring. She needs someone to go in and giver her a much needed break.

Also curious why your Uncle isn't in rehab for his condition, getting physical therapy so that when he is ready to go home he can take care of himself.

pamstegma Feb 2016
Call your county office of the aging. They can help you.

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