A familiar situation: watching a loved one deal with the challenges of aging or living with chronic illness and struggle with their daily routine, often leads to a familiar solution: a family member or close friend will take on the role of caregiver.
Why Family?
Choosing a family member as a caregiver is often a matter of practicality and familiarity, but the benefits can’t be overstated. Family members are not only familiar with their loved one’s diagnosis, prognosis, or challenges, but also their needs, preferences, personality, and routine, which can offer individuals a more personalized care experience.
Having a family member as a caregiver can ease an individual’s anxiety, making them feel better supported, and family members are often more flexible with time and demands and have an increased capacity for care, which provides their loved ones with a uniquely compassionate, broad ranging form of care.
As responsibilities grow and your loved one requires more attention and assistance, you may be spending more time caring for them and, if you aren’t already compensated, be curious about that conversation.
How to Get Paid to be a Family Caregiver in Michigan
Adult children of a person receiving care, friends, or other relatives can be paid to be a caregiver for their loved ones in the state of Michigan, either through Home Help, the Michigan caregiver program offered by Medicaid and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, or through privately coordinated care and compensation agreements made between family if your loved one is ineligible for Medicaid.
Getting paid to be a caregiver for a loved one who needs consistent, routine help with everyday tasks and personal care is a conversation to consider if one specific family member is acting as primary caregiver, and especially if they have given up income in order to care for their loved one. If you would pay someone outside of family to perform the same tasks, it may be an appropriate time to discuss compensation.
Medicaid Home Help Program
Home Help is a state Medicaid program administered through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) for elderly and disabled Michigan residents who require help with tasks of daily living such as bathing, eating, dressing, personal care, meal preparation, housekeeping, or shopping for essentials. Designed to promote independent living, it allows individuals to choose their caregiver instead of receiving care directly from the state.
The individual seeking assistance applies and is evaluated by a case manager from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to determine which benefits and services they require and is then granted a budget for care which is paid to the caregiver of their choosing.
To be eligible for the Home Help program, your loved one must be enrolled in Medicaid, be a Michigan resident over 21, and need assistance with essential activities of daily life. Adult children, friends, or other relatives of an individual in the Home Help program are eligible to become a caregiver, however spouses of the person receiving care and parents caring for a child under 21 are ineligible.
Stay Home Home Care Makes it Easy
In recent years, the demand for home health care options has increased significantly. At Stay Home Home Care, we work with families to determine eligibility and the services necessary for their loved ones and guide them through the process – from applying and getting evaluated to providing care and getting paid.
Stay Home Home Care offers families and caregivers ongoing support so they can focus on what’s most important: caring for their loved ones. To learn more or start the process of becoming a paid caregiver for your loved one, call Stay Home Home Care or contact us today.
