Can you get paid to care for a family member in Alabama?

Yes, through 2 programs we verified. In Alabama, the main way to be paid to care for a relative is Personal Choices, a self-directed option for people already enrolled in a Medicaid waiver such as the Elderly and Disabled Waiver. The participant gets a monthly budget and hires their own worker, and a financial management agency handles payroll. For people with intellectual disabilities, the ID and Living at Home waivers let relatives, including parents and other legally liable relatives, be paid for self-directed personal care.

Which Alabama programs pay family caregivers?

Personal Choices

• Type: Medicaid self-direction
• Who can be paid: A worker the participant hires and supervises, which can include a qualified family member.
• Who qualifies for care: People already enrolled in an Alabama Medicaid home and community-based waiver, such as the Elderly and Disabled Waiver, who need a nursing-home level of care.

Self-directed Personal Care in the Intellectual Disabilities (ID), Living at Home (LAH) and Community Waiver Program (CWP) waivers

• Type: Medicaid self-direction
• Who can be paid: Relatives, including a legally liable relative (such as a parent of a minor or a spouse) or a legal guardian, who are qualified to provide the service and are not also the participant's representative or employer of record.
• Who qualifies for care: People age 3 and older with an intellectual disability who need an ICF/IID level of care and are enrolled in one of these waivers through the Alabama Department of Mental Health.

Are there national programs too?

Yes. Veterans may qualify for VA programs that pay or support family caregivers: Veteran Directed Care and the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.

What should you confirm with the state?

Rules on hiring a spouse under Personal Choices could not be confirmed on an official page. Ask the Alabama Department of Senior Services (1-800-243-5463) before you apply.