Become a Certified Caregiver for a Family Member

Become a Certified Caregiver for a Family Member: You’ve watched your parents age. As they get older, they need more help around the house. They don’t go out as much as they used to. And when they do, it’s to a doctor’s appointment. Their health isn’t bad enough that they need to go to a nursing home. But you can’t help but think that they need some long-term services and supports to help them stay at home.

You know that they couldn’t afford long-term care insurance; meaning you don’t think they could have a paid caregiver help out. You’d love to have more time to help take care of them yourself. But you’d need financial support in order to spend more time helping out. The good news is, there are government programs that can help you become a certified caregiver for your own family.

Why Become a Certified Caregiver for A Family Member?

Thanks to a combination of the independent nature of our society and a complex elder care system, taking care of a family member or friend has become a catch-as-catch can endeavor for many adult children (i.e., errands carried out hurriedly while juggling a job and their own children). That’s why, for some people, becoming a paid caregiver for their elderly loved ones might make sense. It may also be a better experience for the care recipient, since having a stranger come to their home may be a less desirable proposition than having a family member as their caregiver.

So Why Not Just Have Your Family Member Hire You Directly?

There are a few reasons to become a certified caregiver rather than just make a private arrangement with your family.

• First, when hiring a family member, things like pay can be awkward. How much will you be paid, and for what services?
• Most importantly, the cost. If your elderly family members qualify for Medicaid, the program is funded by a government program.
• As a certified caregiver, you’re paid by a home care agency that handles the paperwork for you and your elderly loved one.
• As a certified caregiver, you’ll have access to caregiver resources such as support groups, including specific family caregiver support programs. Check with your area agency on aging for specifics on the programs available.
• Many home care agencies provide paid training that you’ll need in order to [Note: thought dropped out mid sentence!]
• Finally, your elderly family members will also be able to receive respite care, meaning they will still receive care when you are sick or otherwise unable to provide care yourself.

Becoming a paid caregiver for your elderly family member can still be a stressful process. By definition, your relationship with your family members will change, as you provide things like personal care for them.

Certified Caregiver for a Family Member

It’s easier than you might think. Contact us to get started on the path to becoming a paid caregiver. A home care agency will also start the process of qualifying your elderly loved ones for the program, so that by the time you are ready to start providing care, they will have completed the process to determine if they meet all the requirements. You’ll need to undergo a background check, meaning the home care agency will need some documentation, including:

• Copy of Social Security Card
• Valid Driver’s License or State ID
• Proof of citizenship or legal status and employment authorization, if applicable
• Copy of high school or college diploma

You’ll also need to complete the required (paid!) training and meet with agency staff to discuss your family’s care plan, which determines what type of services you’ll provide and how many hours per week or month you’ll spend. Ready to go? Call Home Care Powered by AUAF at (773) 274-9262 today.