Get Paid to Care for Your Elderly Parent in Idaho
Idaho's Aged & Disabled (A&D) Medicaid Waiver lets eligible seniors self-direct personal care and hire a friend or relative, such as an adult child, as a paid caregiver. The state-plan Personal Care Services program does not offer self-direction, so the A&D Waiver is the route for paying a family member.
This guide covers what Idaho 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.
Idaho pays family caregivers $13–$21 per hour through the Aged & Disabled Waiver Self-Directed Services option within the Idaho Aged and Disabled (A&D) Medicaid Waiver. Your parent must meet a nursing-facility level of care but prefer to remain at home.
Idaho's Main Program: Aged & Disabled Waiver Self-Directed Services
Aged & Disabled Waiver Self-Directed Services is a self-directed option within Idaho's Idaho Aged and Disabled (A&D) Medicaid Waiver, 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 Idaho
| Region | Typical Hourly Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Boise / Treasure Valley | $14–$21/hr | Self-direct A&D Waiver personal care; spouse excluded, adult child allowed |
| North Idaho (Coeur d'Alene) | $13–$20/hr | A&D Waiver slots are limited and may have a waiting list |
| Eastern / Rural Idaho | $13–$19/hr | Rates vary by region; FMS handles payroll and tax withholding |
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
Under the A&D Waiver self-direction option an adult child or other relative may be hired and paid, but a spouse is prohibited from being a paid caregiver. Always confirm the current rules with Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Medicaid before you count on a specific arrangement.
Eligibility Requirements
Your Parent Must:
- Be enrolled in full Idaho Medicaid (not just a savings program)
- Meet the clinical criteria for a nursing-facility level of care
- Be enrolled in the Idaho Aged and Disabled (A&D) Medicaid Waiver (or its self-directed option)
- Live in Idaho 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 service
How to Apply: Step-by-Step
- Apply for Idaho Medicaid. Apply online at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/medicaid-health/apply-medicaid-elderly-or-disabled-adults or call 1-877-456-1233. 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 Idaho Aged and Disabled (A&D) Medicaid Waiver.
- Enroll in the waiver. Once deemed eligible, your parent is enrolled in the Idaho Aged and Disabled (A&D) Medicaid Waiver and assigned a case manager or care coordinator.
- Request the self-directed (A&D Waiver) 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 service. 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 Idaho's caregiver-pay programs and other benefits.
Check Eligibility NowOther Programs That May Pay Idaho 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, Idaho'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 1-877-471-2777.
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 Idaho 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
- Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Medicaid: healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/medicaid-health/about-medicaid-elderly-or-adults-disabilities | 1-877-456-1233
- Apply for Medicaid: healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/medicaid-health/apply-medicaid-elderly-or-disabled-adults
- State aging services: aging.idaho.gov | 1-877-471-2777
- Eldercare Locator (find local help): eldercare.acl.gov | 1-800-677-1116
- Medicaid (federal): medicaid.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
Idaho family caregivers paid through Medicaid generally earn roughly $13 to $21 per hour, depending on the program, agency, and region. Under the A&D Waiver self-direction option, the participant's individual budget and the financial management service determine the actual wage.
The Aged and Disabled (A&D) Waiver is Idaho's 1915(c) Medicaid waiver providing home and community-based services to seniors and adults with disabilities who would otherwise need nursing-home care. It allows participants to self-direct some benefits, including hiring their own personal care provider.
No. Under the Idaho A&D Waiver self-direction option, a spouse is prohibited from being hired as the paid caregiver. However, an adult child, other relative, or friend may be hired and paid. A financial management service handles the payroll, taxes, and employment paperwork.
The Aged and Disabled (A&D) Medicaid Waiver is the program that lets family caregivers get paid through self-direction. Idaho's separate state-plan Personal Care Services program uses agency-employed assistants and does not offer self-direction.
Apply for Medicaid for elderly or disabled adults through the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, online via idalink or at a local field office; benefits customer service is 1-877-456-1233. After approval, ask about A&D Waiver self-direction. The Idaho Commission on Aging / ADRC is at 1-877-471-2777.
Yes. If a parent with dementia qualifies for the A&D Waiver, an adult child can be hired and paid to provide personal care through self-direction. A spouse, however, cannot be the paid caregiver.
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 Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Medicaid. Sources: healthandwelfare.idaho.gov · aging.idaho.gov.