Can my wife get paid for being my family caregiver? She's already doing the work!
Reader Q&A plus news you can use
Hello KIRC family!
Let’s give a shout-out and a collective, supportive, virtual hug to everyone who is now on this journey of family caregiver. Remember, we are all in this together; learning, sharing and helping one another.
Case in point? KIRC recently received a reader question from a husband in South Carolina.
Can a loved one earn money for performing family caregiving ?
Q: I’m hoping I can get some information on how my wife can become my caregiver, a job that she's already doing, but wanting to know how she can get paid for it? Thank you in advance for any help you can give us.
A: The simple answer is yes… and no. It depends on how we view ‘being paid, where you live and whether you qualify for varying services. Let me break it down this way:
Cash payment vs. support
Each state offers varying degrees of opportunities to be ‘paid’ as a spousal family caregiver, and those ‘payments’ may not be in cash, but rather support services and assistance to cover some costs of necessary items.
The South Carolina Department of Aging offers a variety of programs to support caregivers with items such as:
Respite
Providing consumer guidance
Accessing community services
Caregiving training
Transportation
Support and counseling
For those of you living in South Carolina and seeking family caregiving services, your first outreach should be to the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for your county. There are ten different offices around the state.
For a larger list of various services offered via the state, visit the GetCareSC portal for Family Caregiver Support.
Plug in your city and zip code, to access the AAA for your county.
Courtesy: Canva
Did you serve our country?
If you are a U.S. Military veteran, be sure to also contact your local Veterans Affairs office.
You can learn if you are eligible for various caregiving services which may be available in your region.
Courtesy: AARP
For information on free resources for veterans, visit aarp.org/veterans and aarp.org/vetshealthnavigator.
Medicare does NOT cover caregiving
A key thing to remember (regardless of what state you live) is that Medicare does not pay for family caregiving services, spousal or otherwise.
If you qualify for Medicaid, there may be additional programs administered through your state or region which provide assistance, vouchers or respite services to family caregivers.
Which states offer direct payments?
Legislation impacting family caregivers is an evolving landscape. Therefore, it is always best to begin your research with your state’s Department of Aging and then the local Area Agency on Aging.
During the KIRC exploration on this topic, we discovered there is a wide range of information for seeking out resources.
For South Carolina, AARP provides a thorough list which compiles the offices to reach out to for guidance.
Keep in mind, each state may offer different levels of support. For instance, according to Paying for Senior Care, a portal which focuses outlining the various types of senior Long Term Care options, as of June 2021, only 15 states offered programs which allowed spouses to be paid caregivers.
Keep in mind, each of the states which do have such programs, also have specific guidelines and eligibility requirements in order to qualify. So again, start with your Area Agency on Aging for your respective region.
Do you have a question or issue you would like KIRC to look into? You can send a message by:
Hitting ‘reply’ to this article or -
email direct to info@juliayarboughmediagroup or -
Follow me on Facebook at Julia Yarbough Media Group.
Plus, want to share with other caregivers in a private setting? You are invited to submit a request to join the Keeping It REAL Caregiving Facebook Group.
And finally
If you missed our September KIRC Caregiver of the Month - check it out here:
*A son’s love like no other - Introducing the KIRC September Caregiver of the Month
Who will be the October Keeping It REAL Caregiving Caregiver of the Month?
Do you know a caregiver (family or professional) who goes above and beyond in their duties caring for a loved one or client? Let's honor them!
Submit the name and contact information of your nominee, with a brief description of why you believe they should be selected.
Consider items such as years of work, kindness and respect to loved ones or clients, dedication, positive attitude - or whatever it is you believe makes your nominee 'the best of the best!'
Selected nominees will be notified by email in advance to be featured on the Keeping It REAL Caregiving website and newsletter and receive:
A Certificate of Appreciation

A small gift-card prize

Virtual support and appreciation from the entire KIRC family!

It is our way of saying THANK YOU for their hard work and dedication!
Submit here and recognize a nominee for the October award.
As KIRC continues growing, please consider supporting Keeping It REAL Caregiving's ongoing efforts to share information, resources, advocacy updates and video interviews, as well as recognizing a Caregiver of the Month with a small gift reward.
You can become a Supporting Sponsor for just $0.99/month or $9.99/year.
Thank you EVERYONE for your support of the KIRC effort!
Until next time~
Julia
