Get Paid to Care for Your Elderly Parent in Arkansas
Arkansas's IndependentChoices is a cash-and-counseling self-direction option available under both state-plan Personal Care and the ARChoices in Homecare waiver, giving the participant a monthly allowance to hire and pay their own caregiver. Financial management is handled by PPL First, which processes taxes and caregiver wages.
This guide covers what Arkansas family caregivers need to know: the program structure, pay rates, who can be paid, eligibility, how to apply, and other programs that may supplement your income.
Arkansas pays family caregivers $11–$20 per hour through the IndependentChoices option within the ARChoices in Homecare Waiver (and state-plan Personal Care). Your parent must meet a nursing-facility level of care but prefer to remain at home.
Arkansas's Main Program: IndependentChoices
IndependentChoices is a self-directed option within Arkansas's ARChoices in Homecare Waiver (and state-plan Personal Care), which provides home and community-based care for seniors and adults with disabilities who meet a nursing-facility level of need. Under self-direction, your parent (or you as their authorized representative) can hire, train, schedule, and supervise the personal-care attendant — and that attendant can be you, an adult child.
What the Program Pays For
Authorized self-directed services typically include:
- Personal care: bathing, grooming, dressing, oral hygiene
- Toileting assistance and incontinence care
- Mobility help: transferring, positioning, ambulation support
- Meal preparation and feeding assistance
- Light housekeeping directly related to health and safety
- Medication reminders (not administration, which requires a nurse)
- Supervision for individuals with cognitive impairment, including dementia
Pay Rates Across Arkansas
| Region | Typical Hourly Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Little Rock / Central AR | $13–$20/hr | Higher cost-of-living areas trend toward the top of the range |
| Northwest AR (Fayetteville / Bentonville) | $13–$20/hr | Competitive labor market supports higher self-directed rates |
| Delta / Rural Arkansas | $11–$16/hr | Rate is set from the participant's individualized cash allowance |
Rates are set within the participant's approved plan-of-care budget and the state's limits; the figures above are typical ranges, not guarantees.
Who Can Be Paid
Adult children and other relatives can be paid, but spouses and legal guardians are excluded. Always confirm the current rules with Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Aging, Adult, & Behavioral Health Services before you count on a specific arrangement.
Eligibility Requirements
Your Parent Must:
- Be enrolled in full Arkansas Medicaid (not just a savings program)
- Meet the clinical criteria for a nursing-facility level of care
- Be enrolled in the ARChoices in Homecare Waiver (and state-plan Personal Care) (or its self-directed option)
- Live in Arkansas in a community setting (not a nursing home)
- Be able to direct their own care, or have a legal/authorized representative who can
You (the Caregiver) Must:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Meet the program's relationship rules (see above)
- Pass a criminal background check and registry search
- Complete any required caregiver orientation and training
- Be legally authorized to work in the United States
- Submit timesheets through PPL First (Public Partnerships)
How to Apply: Step-by-Step
- Apply for Arkansas Medicaid. Apply online at humanservices.arkansas.gov/divisions-shared-services/aging-adult-behavioral-health-services/find-home-community-based-services-for-adults-seniors/archoices-in-homecare or call 1-866-801-3435. Your parent must meet income and asset limits.
- Request a long-term-services assessment. Contact your local Medicaid or aging office to request a comprehensive functional assessment that determines whether your parent qualifies for the ARChoices in Homecare Waiver (and state-plan Personal Care).
- Enroll in the waiver. Once deemed eligible, your parent is enrolled in the ARChoices in Homecare Waiver (and state-plan Personal Care) and assigned a case manager or care coordinator.
- Request the self-directed (IndependentChoices) option. During care planning, ask specifically for the consumer/self-directed service model and state that you, the adult child, want to be the hired caregiver.
- Enroll with PPL First (Public Partnerships). Complete enrollment paperwork — W-4, I-9, and background authorization — so payroll, tax withholding, and timesheets are handled for you.
- Complete orientation. Finish any state-required caregiver orientation covering personal-care techniques, emergency procedures, and reporting.
- Begin care and submit timesheets. Provide care per the authorized plan and submit electronic timesheets; payroll is processed on a regular cycle with taxes withheld.
Check Your Parent's Eligibility
Our free Benefits Checker helps identify whether your parent qualifies for Arkansas's caregiver-pay programs and other benefits.
Check Eligibility NowOther Programs That May Pay Arkansas Family Caregivers
VA Veteran-Directed Care & PCAFC
If your parent is a veteran enrolled in VA healthcare, the Veteran-Directed Care program provides a monthly budget that can pay family caregivers, and the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) offers a monthly stipend for eligible primary caregivers. Contact the caregiver support coordinator at your parent's VA medical center or call 1-855-260-3274.
Personal Care Agreement (Private Pay)
If your parent does not qualify for Medicaid, a formal written Personal Care Agreement lets them pay you from their own funds at fair-market rates. Drafted with an elder-law attorney, it must be prospective and reasonable — and it keeps payments from being treated as "gifts" during the Medicaid 5-year look-back.
State Respite & Caregiver Support
Through the National Family Caregiver Support Program, Arkansas's Area Agencies on Aging fund respite, training, and counseling. These rarely pay ongoing wages but reduce your out-of-pocket costs. Find your local agency through the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) or 1-866-801-3435.
Tax Implications for Family Caregivers
- W-2 wages: The financial management agency issues you a W-2; federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare are withheld.
- IRS Notice 2014-7: If you live in the same home as your parent (the Medicaid waiver participant), your self-directed wages may be excludable from federal gross income. Consult a CPA before filing — see IRS guidance on Medicaid waiver payments.
- Earned Income Tax Credit: These wages count as earned income and may qualify you for the EITC.
Maintain daily logs of services provided — date, time in, time out, and a brief description. Medicaid audits self-directed arrangements, and accurate records protect both you and your parent.
What Arkansas Caregivers Are Actually Earning
At 30 hours per week and about $15 per hour, you would earn roughly $1,950 per month. At 40 hours per week and $20 per hour, earnings reach about $3,466 per month — around $41,600 per year before taxes.
For comparison, a nursing home costs far more per year, and agency home care runs roughly $30–$40 per hour. A self-directed arrangement lets your parent receive care from someone they trust, while you earn income that partially replaces what you may have given up to provide care.
Contact Information
- Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Aging, Adult, & Behavioral Health Services: humanservices.arkansas.gov/divisions-shared-services/aging-adult-behavioral-health-services/self-direction-independent-choices | 1-866-801-3435
- Apply for Medicaid: humanservices.arkansas.gov/divisions-shared-services/aging-adult-behavioral-health-services/find-home-community-based-services-for-adults-seniors/archoices-in-homecare
- State aging services: humanservices.arkansas.gov/divisions-shared-services/aging-adult-behavioral-health-services | 1-866-801-3435
- Eldercare Locator (find local help): eldercare.acl.gov | 1-800-677-1116
- Medicaid (federal): medicaid.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
Family caregivers in Arkansas typically earn roughly $11–$20 per hour, with higher rates in metro areas like Little Rock and Fayetteville. The exact pay comes from a Medicaid-set cash allowance based on the participant's assessed needs.
IndependentChoices is Arkansas Medicaid's self-direction program that lets participants receive a cash allowance to hire, schedule, and pay their own personal-care workers instead of using an agency. It is offered through state-plan Personal Care and the ARChoices waiver.
No. Under IndependentChoices, spouses and legal guardians cannot be hired as paid caregivers. Other relatives, including adult children of an aging parent, can be hired and paid to provide care.
The ARChoices in Homecare waiver, combined with the IndependentChoices self-direction option, lets family caregivers be paid; the option is also available under state-plan Personal Care.
Call the Choices in Living Resource Center at 1-866-801-3435 or contact your local DHS county office to apply for ARChoices and request IndependentChoices. An assessment determines eligibility, and PPL First then sets up payroll for your chosen caregiver.
Yes. If your parent qualifies for ARChoices at a nursing-facility level of care, dementia-related personal care is covered, and you can be hired and paid through IndependentChoices. Spouses remain excluded, but adult children qualify.
Related Guides
- How to Get Paid to Care for Your Parent (National Overview)
- How to Apply for Medicaid for an Elderly Parent
- Caregiver Tax Deductions 2026
- VA Benefits for Elderly Parents
- Power of Attorney for an Elderly Parent
- Medicaid Spend-Down Rules
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Program names, pay rates, and eligibility rules change and vary by county — confirm details with Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Aging, Adult, & Behavioral Health Services. Sources: humanservices.arkansas.gov · pplfirst.com.