Get Paid to Care for Your Elderly Parent in Connecticut
Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) participants in the Medicaid (HUSKY C) category self-direct personal care through Community First Choice (CFC), hiring and managing their own PCAs. Adult children may be paid; spouses may not.
This guide covers what Connecticut 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.
Connecticut pays family caregivers $16–$21 per hour through the Community First Choice (self-direction for CHCPE / HUSKY C members) option within the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) / Community First Choice. Your parent must meet a nursing-facility level of care but prefer to remain at home.
Connecticut's Main Program: Community First Choice (self-direction for CHCPE / HUSKY C members)
Community First Choice (self-direction for CHCPE / HUSKY C members) is a self-directed option within Connecticut's Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) / Community First Choice, 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 Connecticut
| Region | Typical Hourly Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield County (Stamford, Bridgeport) | $17–$21/hr | Higher-cost area lifts negotiated PCA rates |
| Hartford / New Haven | $16–$20/hr | Rates set per assessed need and DSS fee schedule |
| Eastern / rural Connecticut | $16–$19/hr | Rates trend toward the state minimum wage |
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
A relative such as an adult child can be hired as a personal care assistant, but a spouse or legal guardian cannot be paid under Community First Choice. Always confirm the current rules with Connecticut Department of Social Services (HUSKY Health) before you count on a specific arrangement.
Eligibility Requirements
Your Parent Must:
- Be enrolled in full Connecticut Medicaid (not just a savings program)
- Meet the clinical criteria for a nursing-facility level of care
- Be enrolled in the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) / Community First Choice (or its self-directed option)
- Live in Connecticut 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 a financial management agency
How to Apply: Step-by-Step
- Apply for Connecticut Medicaid. Apply online at www.accesshealthct.com or call 1-855-805-4325. 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 Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) / Community First Choice.
- Enroll in the waiver. Once deemed eligible, your parent is enrolled in the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) / Community First Choice and assigned a case manager or care coordinator.
- Request the self-directed (CFC) 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 a financial management agency. 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 Connecticut's caregiver-pay programs and other benefits.
Check Eligibility NowOther Programs That May Pay Connecticut 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, Connecticut'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 1-800-994-9422.
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 Connecticut Caregivers Are Actually Earning
At 30 hours per week and about $18 per hour, you would earn roughly $2,340 per month. At 40 hours per week and $21 per hour, earnings reach about $3,640 per month — around $43,680 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
- Connecticut Department of Social Services (HUSKY Health): portal.ct.gov/dss/health-and-home-care/connecticut-home-care-program-for-elders/connecticut-home-care-program-for-elders-chcpe | 1-855-805-4325
- Apply for Medicaid: www.accesshealthct.com
- State aging services: portal.ct.gov/ads | 1-800-994-9422
- Eldercare Locator (find local help): eldercare.acl.gov | 1-800-677-1116
- Medicaid (federal): medicaid.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
Personal care assistants hired through Community First Choice are paid based on assessed need and the DSS fee schedule — generally about $16 to $21 per hour depending on region.
The Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) helps residents 65+ at risk of nursing-home placement stay at home; Medicaid (HUSKY C) participants can self-direct personal care through Community First Choice.
No. Under Community First Choice a spouse or legal guardian cannot be hired, but another relative such as an adult child can be paid as a personal care assistant.
Family caregivers are paid through Community First Choice, the self-directed personal-care option for Medicaid-funded CHCPE (HUSKY C) members. Adult Family Living is a separate stipend option for live-in relatives other than a spouse.
Apply for HUSKY/Medicaid at accesshealthct.com or call DSS at 1-855-805-4325, then request a CHCPE assessment; you can also call ADS CHOICES at 1-800-994-9422 for help.
Yes. A parent with dementia who qualifies for CHCPE/HUSKY C can self-direct care through Community First Choice and hire an adult child (not a spouse) as a paid personal care assistant.
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 Connecticut Department of Social Services (HUSKY Health). Sources: portal.ct.gov · portal.ct.gov.