Detailed answers about getting paid to care for a parent in Ohio.

Adult children, siblings, grandchildren, in-laws, and close family friends who care for a Medicaid-eligible loved one in Ohio. Spouses generally cannot be paid as the SFC caregiver under Ohio rules — a few waiver-specific exceptions apply, see "Can a spouse be the paid caregiver?" below. The caregiver must be 18 or older.

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Yes. Both SFC and HHA require the loved one to be enrolled in an Ohio Medicaid waiver — PASSPORT, MyCare Ohio, or the Ohio Home Care Waiver. If they aren't on one yet, the eligibility check tells you exactly what's missing and CareCheck helps you start the process.

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Your loved one needs help with at least one daily activity — bathing, dressing, eating, mobility, or transferring (getting in and out of bed/chair). Just one is enough. The state's formal in-home assessment determines the assigned tier, which in turn drives the monthly pay.

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Cognitive decline is one of the most common qualifying reasons. Memory care needs — orientation, supervision, medication reminders, behavioral redirection — are recognized as activities the assessor evaluates. Many SFC families care for a parent with dementia at home.

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PASSPORT requires age 60+. The Ohio Home Care Waiver and MyCare Ohio cover adults under 60 with disabilities. Children under 21 may qualify under the IO Waiver or Level One Waiver. The eligibility check confirms which waiver applies.

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No. SFC has no clinical license requirement — the program-required training is short and CareCheck schedules it around your week. HHA requires Ohio's 75-hour Home Health Aide training (which CareCheck runs) plus a background check. No nursing degree, no prior caregiving experience required.

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Yes. SFC pays for the daily care you provide; it doesn't require you to leave employment. Many families combine SFC pay with part-time work. HHA pay is hourly and scheduled around your availability.

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Up to $1,800 per month, depending on the loved one's assessed level of care (tier). The exact amount comes from the state's in-home assessment; we give you a real number after the visit.

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CareCheck pays SFC family caregivers on a monthly direct-deposit cycle. The schedule is confirmed in writing during onboarding so you always know when to expect the next deposit.

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SFC pay is generally tax-free at the federal level under the Difficulty of Care exclusion (IRS Notice 2014-7) when the caregiver and loved one share a home. State tax treatment varies; we connect you with a tax professional if you want it confirmed in writing for your situation.

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Difficulty-of-care payments excluded from federal gross income are also excluded from "income" for most federal means-tested programs. Some local programs apply their own rules. We help families document this properly with their caseworker.

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Yes — SFC requires co-residence. You can move in together to qualify; the state recognizes any arrangement where the caregiver and loved one share a home full-time.

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Generally no, under Ohio's SFC rules. Spouses caring for a partner have a few waiver-specific paths (the Ohio Home Care Waiver in particular) that may allow paid caregiving in specific circumstances. The eligibility check confirms whether your situation fits an exception.

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No — Ohio designates one primary SFC caregiver per recipient. A second family member can be involved with care but isn't paid through SFC for the same recipient. HHA can layer on top of SFC for respite or additional hours.

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HHA covers up to $2,500/month of Medicaid-funded in-home care. The aide is paid taxable W-2 wages — the dollar amount per visit depends on the loved one's assessed level of care and number of authorized hours.

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No. HHA has no live-in requirement. Visits are scheduled around your family — most families set up a recurring weekly schedule.

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Bathing, dressing, mobility, transferring, light housekeeping, meal prep, medication reminders, and companionship. HHAs do not perform skilled nursing tasks (those require an RN visit, which we coordinate separately).

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Yes — many CareCheck HHAs are relatives of the people they care for. You complete the Ohio-required 75-hour HHA training (CareCheck runs it) and pass a BCII / FBI background check. After certification, you're paid taxable W-2 wages for visits.

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A CareCheck registered nurse builds and maintains the care plan and supervises every aide as Ohio regulations require. RN check-ins happen on a regular cadence — both in person and by video.

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For caregivers who share a home with their care recipient, SFC payments are generally excluded from federal gross income under IRS Notice 2014-7. CareCheck issues a W-2 documenting the payments, and you typically report $0 of "wages" from that W-2 (consult your tax preparer for the exact line). Save the W-2 with your tax records as proof of the exclusion.

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HHA pay is standard W-2 wages. CareCheck withholds federal and Ohio income tax, FICA, and Medicare from each pay period. You file Form 1040 like any other employed worker. We provide W-2s by January 31 each year.

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In nearly every case, no. The pay goes to you, the caregiver — not to your loved one. Their Social Security, Medicaid eligibility, and other benefits stay intact. We confirm specifics with every family during onboarding.

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Difficulty-of-care payments excluded under IRS Notice 2014-7 are also excluded from "income" for most federal means-tested programs. State and local programs may apply their own rules; check with your caseworker if you receive specific benefits.

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For HHA pay (taxable W-2 wages), yes — standard IRA / 401(k) options apply. For SFC pay (excluded from gross income under 2014-7), the answer is more nuanced and worth a conversation with your tax pro before contributing.

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Caregiver pay typically counts as employment for unemployment eligibility purposes. Workers' comp interactions depend on which program. The intake call covers your specific situation.

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For families already on a Medicaid waiver, four to six weeks from eligibility check to first deposit is typical. Families starting from scratch take longer because the waiver application moves at the state's pace — usually one to three months added on the front end. The full timeline lives on the How it works page.

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An Ohio Medicaid assessor (typically from your local Area Agency on Aging) visits the loved one's home for about an hour. They evaluate daily-living needs and assign a tier. CareCheck preps you on what to expect and follows up with the state on the back end.

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Waiver paperwork, AAA coordination, RN-led care plan, training scheduling, BCII / FBI background checks, payroll, tax forms, audit response. We handle every line item the state requires so the family doesn't have to navigate it alone.

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For the eligibility check: just contact info and a brief description of your loved one's daily needs. For enrollment: government ID, Social Security number (used for tax purposes — we handle this securely), proof of co-residence for SFC, and basic info about your loved one's Medicaid status. CareCheck collects everything during onboarding.

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CareCheck. You'll sign forms — but we fill them out, file them, and follow up with the state. The Documentation guide lists every form and where it goes.

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The most common: care recipient not yet on an Ohio Medicaid waiver, level of care below the threshold, missing in-home assessment, or background-check issues for the proposed caregiver. CareCheck identifies these issues during the eligibility check before any paperwork is filed.

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You provide the daily care your loved one needs — bathing, dressing, meals, mobility, supervision, companionship. You document care notes (CareCheck provides a simple template). You attend brief check-ins with the CareCheck nurse coach. The work has structure but it's the same care you'd be giving anyway.

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Yes. Both SFC and HHA include respite — short-term coverage from a CareCheck aide so the family caregiver can take a break, attend an appointment, or travel. Respite hours are part of the care plan.

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A registered-nurse coach who knows your situation, a care specialist for non-clinical questions, payroll support, training resources, and an audit-response service in the rare case the state needs documentation. You're never alone in this.

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