Ask Mike - Wants to get paid to care for her Mom

Dear She Wants to Get Paid,

Thanks for contacting me. You write that your Mom needs assistance and that you have been helping "with everything". You take her get to doctor appointments, hydrobarics and everyday appointments three times per week. You would like to be paid for providing this assistance.

The short answer to your question is: "maybe". It depends on the State in which your mom resides and whether your Mom qualifies for any public or private assistance; either direct services or funding. It also really depends on what "everything" actually entails. If your assistance has basically been limited to picking her up, helping to get ready to go and then transporting her to various appointments, then it is unlikely that you will be able to be paid. If, on the other hand, your Mom needs assistance with bathing, transferring, eating, paying the bills, reading mail, and so on, then it may be more likely that you could be paid to provide some of the services.

If your Mom is currently receiving formal, paid services and you simply want to be a provider, then you will need to contact an administrator over the funding for the services and ask if you can be a paid provider. The same step will be needed if your Mom needs to apply for formal paid services. In general to qualify for formal paid assistance through a publicly funded program, she will need to have a significant disability and she will need to be poor.

Our website can assist you with following up on all of the issues just mentioned. Go to Agencies Related to PAS and select your state on the map of the USA. On the next page you will see a number of options. Click on "Medicaid Agency" and "State Unit on Aging" and, depending on your Mom's situation, ask either or both about how she can apply for services or ask about becoming a paid provider.

From your letter it didn't sound like this was the case, but on the outside chance that your Mom is currently receiving paid assistance, just ask the agency providing the services if you can become a paid provider.

I hope this helps.

Mike Oxford