Get Paid to Care for Your Elderly Parent in Delaware
Delaware delivers long-term care through the managed Diamond State Health Plan-Plus, which offers a consumer-directed option for personal and attendant care so participants can hire their own caregiver. Unusually, Delaware allows both spouses and adult children to be hired and paid, with a financial management agency handling payroll and taxes.
This guide covers what Delaware 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.
Delaware pays family caregivers $13–$21 per hour through the Diamond State Health Plan-Plus self-directed Personal/Attendant Care option within the Diamond State Health Plan-Plus (1115 managed long-term services and supports). Your parent must meet a nursing-facility level of care but prefer to remain at home.
Delaware's Main Program: Diamond State Health Plan-Plus self-directed Personal/Attendant Care
Diamond State Health Plan-Plus self-directed Personal/Attendant Care is a self-directed option within Delaware's Diamond State Health Plan-Plus (1115 managed long-term services and supports), 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 Delaware
| Region | Typical Hourly Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wilmington / New Castle County | $16–$21/hr | Urban wage area; rates trend toward the top of the range |
| Dover / Kent County | $14–$19/hr | Mid-range under the DSHP-Plus self-directed budget |
| Sussex County (Georgetown / coastal) | $13–$18/hr | Rate set by assessed need and the MCO's self-direction pay scale |
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
Both spouses and adult children may be hired and paid as caregivers under Delaware's consumer-directed option. Always confirm the current rules with Delaware Division of Medicaid & Medical Assistance (DMMA) before you count on a specific arrangement.
Eligibility Requirements
Your Parent Must:
- Be enrolled in full Delaware Medicaid (not just a savings program)
- Meet the clinical criteria for a nursing-facility level of care
- Be enrolled in the Diamond State Health Plan-Plus (1115 managed long-term services and supports) (or its self-directed option)
- Live in Delaware 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 Delaware Medicaid. Apply online at dhss.delaware.gov/dmma/dshpplus or call 1-866-843-7212. 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 Diamond State Health Plan-Plus (1115 managed long-term services and supports).
- Enroll in the waiver. Once deemed eligible, your parent is enrolled in the Diamond State Health Plan-Plus (1115 managed long-term services and supports) and assigned a case manager or care coordinator.
- Request the self-directed (DSHP-Plus) 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 Delaware's caregiver-pay programs and other benefits.
Check Eligibility NowOther Programs That May Pay Delaware 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, Delaware'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 1-800-223-9074.
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 Delaware Caregivers Are Actually Earning
At 30 hours per week and about $17 per hour, you would earn roughly $2,210 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
- Delaware Division of Medicaid & Medical Assistance (DMMA): dhss.delaware.gov/dmma | 1-866-843-7212
- Apply for Medicaid: dhss.delaware.gov/dmma/dshpplus
- State aging services: dhss.delaware.gov/dsaapd | 1-800-223-9074
- Eldercare Locator (find local help): eldercare.acl.gov | 1-800-677-1116
- Medicaid (federal): medicaid.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
Family caregivers in Delaware generally earn about $13–$21 per hour, with the highest rates in Wilmington, Dover, and Newark. The exact pay depends on the assessed care level and the managed-care plan's self-directed budget.
DSHP-Plus is Delaware's managed Medicaid long-term care program covering nursing-home, assisted-living, and home and community-based services. It includes a self-directed (consumer-directed) option that lets participants hire and pay their own personal-care attendants.
Yes. Delaware is one of the states that allows a spouse to be hired and paid under the DSHP-Plus consumer-directed option, along with adult children and other relatives. A financial management agency processes the wages and taxes.
The Diamond State Health Plan-Plus (DSHP-Plus) program, operated under Delaware's 1115 managed long-term care demonstration, lets family caregivers be paid through its self-directed attendant-care benefit.
Request an application packet from the DMMA Central Intake Unit at 1-866-940-8963, or call Medicaid Customer Relations at 1-866-843-7212. After enrollment in DSHP-Plus, you choose a managed-care plan and a financial management service to set up self-directed caregiver pay.
Yes. If your parent qualifies for DSHP-Plus long-term care, dementia-related personal and attendant care is covered, and you can be hired through the self-directed option. Delaware even allows spouses, so adult children clearly 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 Delaware Division of Medicaid & Medical Assistance (DMMA). Sources: dhss.delaware.gov · dhss.delaware.gov.