Ask Mike - Can I get paid to look after my disabled son
Dear Mike,
I am a registered nurse in Ohio. I currently have a disabled son that I care for on my own. He has autism and also a heart condition. I have been missing much work lately due to his conditions. I was told I may be able to be paid to care for him full time.......a single mothers dream.....since his father stepped out of the picture things have been very difficult for us. I was recently pulled into human resources and told I have a hard decision to make...... do I want to be a mother to my disabled child or continue to work at the hospital? I told them that my child will always come first and it is sad to me that they would expect anything different. Needless to say I still work there while my son pays in the long run.......please help........can I get paid to care for him? Where do I start?
Ohio nurse.
Dear Ohio nurse,
You wrote wanting to know if you can be paid to assist your son. This type of question is the most frequent of all of those I have received. Please take a look at Moved to Oregon. In this "Ask Mike" column, I have collated many different questions and answers pertaining to people wanting to be paid providers for family members. This should give you a general idea of the possibilities.
As has been true in the past, the answer to your specific question is also,"maybe". While Ohio does allow family members to be paid for providing assistance to family members, whether or not you will be allowed to be paid for assisting your son will likely depend on a number of factors such as your son's current age, whether he is eligible for a publicly funded program such as a Medicaid HCBS Waiver, whether there is a waiting list for any services for which he may qualify, and so on. The PAS Center website can assist you with getting in touch with the appropriate Ohio state officials who can provide more information and answer specific questions. On the Agencies Related to PAS page, click on "Ohio" on the map of the USA. On the next page, scroll down to "Medicaid Agency". Use the contact information to ask your questions; supplying as much detail as possible including your son's age, his disabilities, his service needs, whether he is already receiving Medicaid and/or SSI, family income and so on.
You could also try the Ohio Medicaid agency website by clicking on the link provided. On their homepage, scroll down and click on "Ohio Medicaid" found in the middle of the page and follow the links for the various categories. Do not use "Disability Services" found to the left of the homepage. That link takes you to employment programs and services for people with disabilities which is not the apparent object of your search.
Here's hoping you find the information you need and get the answers you want!
Mike Oxford