Highlight of the month:

Parents as paid care-givers

• While under 18 years old, parents have a parental responsibility to help their child for FREE. So they are not allowed to be paid to care for their children.
• But after the individual with the disability is 18 years old, they are adults and parents can be paid care-givers.

1. Within CLASS Medicaid waiver:
   • Parents can be Habilitation attendants through the DSA option or the CDS option after the individual turns 18 years old.
   • If parents are legal guardians, they can only be Habilitation attendants through the DSA option.
     • Reasons:
       • As an individual with a legal guardian, the individual is not able to be the "employer" through CDS. So the legal guardian is also the employer with the CDS option... and cannot employ themselves.
       • Therefore, the DSA would need to be the "employer" of the legal guardian on behalf of the individual.
   • Parents can't be Respite attendants.
     • Why? Respite is a service to relieve the family caregiver for their unpaid support (such as overnight and time not covered by paid Habilitation schedule)
   • If parents are the only paid Habilitation attendants, DADS may not view them as "unpaid natural supports" and may say they are not eligible for respite relief.
2. Within the HCS Medicaid waiver:
   • Parents can be Foster/Companion Care provider through HCS.
     • This is an alternative to "Supported Home Living" which is like CLASS Habilitation
     • This is an alternative to "Group Home" which is when an individual receives care while living in a group home.
     1. In Foster/Companion Care, parents can receive a monthly payment to meet the daily care needs of their adult child in their home.