What financial assistance for caregivers is available?
I am taking care of my very ill mother. She is bed-ridden. I am a single mom also and my daughter is six. i moved in to take care of my mom. Where can I seek financial assistance for caregivers?
Expert Answer
If your mother has low income and assets (other than her home), she might get in-home care from Medicaid. This could be care provided by a certified home care agency. But it's also possible – depending on what state you live in -- to bypass the home care agency and have the state pay your mother directly for her in-home care. She can then use the money to pay you for taking care of her. In some states, this kind of cash assistance is possible even your mother has slightly too much income or assets to qualify for Medicaid.
The catch is that your state has to be offering this Cash and Counseling or similar state program, and your mother has to have low enough income and assets to qualify for it. To find out more about these cash assistance programs, go to the page on this site calledHow to Get Paid for Being Your Parent's Caregiver.
Your mother can apply for Medicaid and Cash and Counseling, or for a similar state cash assistance program, at your local Medicaid office. To find the local Medicaid (social services) office near you, contact the Eldercare Locator by phone toll-free at 800-677-1116, or online with any search engine you can type in the word Medicaid and the name of your state.