Georgia Medicaid · Family caregivers
Getting paid to care for a family member in Georgia
If you are looking after a parent or relative at home, Georgia Medicaid may be able to pay you for it. It happens through the Elderly & Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP), and it depends on two things: your family member qualifying for the waiver, and you meeting the caregiver rules.
Read this first
Regular Medicaid alone will not pay you.
Regular Medicaid covers doctors and hospitals. Paying for care at home takes a separate approval: the EDWP waiver, delivered through CCSP or SOURCE. If your family member has Medicaid but not the waiver, that is the place to start.
How it works
Two ways a family member can be paid
Both sit inside the EDWP waiver, and the care coordinator confirms which options apply to your family.
Structured Family Caregiving
For a relative who lives with the person
A service inside EDWP. Medicaid pays an enrolled agency, and the agency pays the live-in family caregiver a daily stipend and provides coaching and support.
Consumer direction
For someone who wants to direct their own care
Under CCSP and SOURCE, this option can let the person receiving care choose and direct their own personal support worker. That worker can be a qualified relative other than a spouse. An agreement has to be in place before services begin.
Who can generally be paid
- Adult children
- Grandchildren
- Brothers and sisters
- In-laws and other relatives
They still have to meet the program's qualification and training requirements.
Who generally cannot
- A spouse
- A legal guardian or conservator
- The parent of a minor child
The waiver can still pay for a professional caregiver and respite care in these homes.
Where to start
- 1
Check the waiver first
Use our free two-minute check to see whether SOURCE or CCSP is the likely fit for your family member. It is a screener, not an application.
- 2
Apply for EDWP
Applications go through your Area Agency on Aging, reachable at the Georgia ADRC on 1-866-552-4464. We can help gather the medical records the application needs, at no cost to you.
- 3
Ask for the family caregiver option
Once your family member is approved, tell the care coordinator you want to be considered as the paid caregiver. They can explain which options apply and what training is required.
- 4
Compare your options
Ask each agency what it pays and what support it provides. Then decide whether family care, a professional caregiver or a mix of both suits your family.
Common questions
Paid family caregiving in Georgia, answered
Can I get paid to take care of my mother or father in Georgia?
Often, yes, if your parent is approved for Georgia's Elderly & Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP) and you meet the program's caregiver requirements. Adult children are among the relatives who can generally be paid. Having regular Medicaid is not enough on its own, because your parent needs the waiver as well.
Can a spouse get paid to be a caregiver through Georgia Medicaid?
Generally, no. Georgia Medicaid does not pay a spouse as the family caregiver under CCSP, SOURCE or Structured Family Caregiving. The waiver can still pay for a caregiver to come into the home and for respite care, so a spouse gets real help. A spouse of an eligible veteran may have a separate option through the VA's family caregiver program.
Who else cannot be the paid caregiver?
Legal guardians, conservators and parents of a minor child are generally excluded along with spouses, because the rules treat them as already legally responsible for the person's care. Confirm your situation with the care coordinator before you count on the income.
Do I have to live with the person I care for?
For Structured Family Caregiving, yes. The caregiver lives in the same home as the person receiving care. Consumer direction is a different arrangement, so ask the care coordinator how it would apply to you.
How much does Georgia pay a family caregiver?
It depends on the arrangement. Under Structured Family Caregiving, Medicaid pays an enrolled agency a daily rate and the agency pays the caregiver a daily stipend, and the share passed on can differ between agencies. Ask each agency for its current stipend in writing, and compare before you choose one.
Is the money taxable?
It can be excluded. Under IRS Notice 2014-7, some Medicaid waiver payments for care given in a home the caregiver shares with the person can be left out of federal income. It does not apply if you keep a separate home. Your own situation is a question for a tax professional.
Does my family member have to qualify first?
Yes. This all starts with the person who needs care. They must be approved for EDWP, which means meeting Medicaid's income and asset limits and needing a nursing-facility level of care. Only then can a family caregiver arrangement be considered.
What if I don't qualify to be paid, or don't want to be the caregiver?
An approved waiver can pay for a professional caregiver instead. Many families use one for bathing, dressing and personal care, or to cover the hours a family member is at work. Respite care can also give a family caregiver time to rest.
This page is general guidance, not legal, tax or eligibility advice. Georgia decides who qualifies, and rules can change, so confirm the details with your care coordinator or Area Agency on Aging before making decisions about work or income.
Not sure where your family stands?
Tell us what is going on at home and we will walk through the options with you.
Not ready to talk to anyone yet?
Read our free family planning guide instead. It walks through the signs that it may be time for help, how to start the conversation, and what to ask any agency — at your own pace, with no phone call and no form.