Massachusetts Home Care Program Allows Family Members To Provide Care And Get Paid

A number of our clients have served as care providers for their loved ones. Some have even been paid to be their parent’s caregiver.

In Massachusetts, there are several programs which will pay family members for caring for their elderly or disabled relatives in their homes. So yes, family members can be paid to provide care, but only under certain conditions.

elderly woman family caregiver

Massachusetts Home Care Programs

The Massachusetts Home Care Program is a state-sponsored program administered through regional Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs).

In Massachusetts, there are 26 Aging Services Access Points. The ASAP’s role is to provide home-based services such as case management and to seniors so that they can continue to live independently in their home.

An Aging Services Access Point (ASAP) Assessment Is Needed

To receive payment for your services you will first need to have the senior undergo an assessment for their care needs. The ASAP’s designate certain agencies to conduct the assessment in your area. Click here for more information or to locate an ASAP near where you live.

The ASAP will send a team to your home to assess the need for services and help you and your family develop a service plan. The criteria for an objective assessment of activities of daily living were created by the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Depending on your family’s income, you may have to pay a monthly co-payment, which is based on a sliding scale.

Program benefit levels can change based on the state budget. Therefore check with your local ASAP for current benefits.

Eligibility for Home Care Services

To be eligible, the person receiving care must be 60 years old or older. However, applicants under age 60 years old may qualify if they have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or other types of Dementia.

The service recipient must meet specific income eligibility guidelines.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts sets the maximum income for the Home Care Program for 2018 at $27,636 for individuals and $39,104 for couples.

Over Income Program

Individuals or couples whose income is higher than the income maximum may be eligible for the Over Income Program in which they would make co-payments based on a sliding scale percentage.

The service recipient must need assistance with at least six Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s) including:

• Eating
• Toileting
• Dressing
• Bathing
• Transportation
• Grocery Shopping
• Transferring
• Laundry
• Housework
• Medication Management
• Meal Preparation
• Money Management

At least one of the areas requiring assistance must be a “critical unmet need”. Critical unmet needs can be defined as personal care, grocery shopping, medication management, meal preparation (or a need for home-delivered meals), and transportation for respite or medical treatment.

Experienced ASAP case managers will check out the service recipient’s abilities for activities of daily living by completing an in-home assessment. Based on this assessment a service plan may provide approximately 2.5 hours per week of services.

Within the Home Care Program, there may be additional levels of support and services for those eligible, including the Enhanced Community Options Program (ECOP), Frail Elder Waiver (FEW) and Consumer Directed Care (CDC).

For details about getting paid for providing care or any of the programs above – call 1-800-AGE-INFO (1-800-243-4636).

About Unique HomeCare Services

Unique HomeCare Services is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts and serves the Greater Boston communities in Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth counties.

We provide private in-home care for elders, those with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, and people who are recuperating from illness, injury, or surgery.

We provide both short-term and long-term in-home care needs from as little as one 4 hour day a week to 24 Hour Care and Live-In Care.

We offer a full range of in-home personal care services including Bathing Assistance, Personal Hygiene and Grooming, Dressing Assistance, Toileting and Incontinence Assistance, Feeding Assistance, and Medication Reminders.

We also provide support services such as Case Management, Accompaniment to Appointments, Nutrition and Meal Management, Light Housekeeping and Laundry Services, Bed and Wheel Chair Transfers, and Shopping and Running Errands.

It is our pleasure to assist our veteran clients with VA Aid and Attendance Benefit approval at no cost.

To schedule a no cost and no obligation In-Home Assessment to determine the home care needs and get a quote, please call us to speak to a Case Manager at (800) 296-9962 or fill out our Free Quote Contact Form.