Get Paid to Care for Your Elderly Parent in Rhode Island
Rhode Island's Personal Choice program is the state's self-directed Medicaid LTSS option, operating under the statewide Comprehensive 1115 Demonstration (formerly the Global Consumer Choice Compact Waiver). It lets the participant hire, train, and supervise their own caregiver, including an adult child or other relative.
This guide covers what Rhode Island 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.
Rhode Island pays family caregivers $15–$22 per hour through the Personal Choice (Self-Directed Care) option within the Rhode Island Comprehensive 1115 Demonstration (formerly Global Consumer Choice Compact Waiver). Your parent must meet a nursing-facility level of care but prefer to remain at home.
Rhode Island's Main Program: Personal Choice (Self-Directed Care)
Personal Choice (Self-Directed Care) is a self-directed option within Rhode Island's Rhode Island Comprehensive 1115 Demonstration (formerly Global Consumer Choice Compact 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 Rhode Island
| Region | Typical Hourly Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Providence Metro | $16–$22/hr | Higher cost-of-living wages typical in the metro |
| Kent / Washington County | $15–$21/hr | Member directs the budget and sets pay |
| Northern Rhode Island | $15–$20/hr | Self-directed budget set by care plan |
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 age 18+ may be hired and paid, but spouses and legal guardians are prohibited from being the paid caregiver. Always confirm the current rules with Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) before you count on a specific arrangement.
Eligibility Requirements
Your Parent Must:
- Be enrolled in full Rhode Island Medicaid (not just a savings program)
- Meet the clinical criteria for a nursing-facility level of care
- Be enrolled in the Rhode Island Comprehensive 1115 Demonstration (formerly Global Consumer Choice Compact Waiver) (or its self-directed option)
- Live in Rhode Island 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 fiscal intermediary
How to Apply: Step-by-Step
- Apply for Rhode Island Medicaid. Apply online at healthsourceri.com/medicaid or call 1-855-840-4774. 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 Rhode Island Comprehensive 1115 Demonstration (formerly Global Consumer Choice Compact Waiver).
- Enroll in the waiver. Once deemed eligible, your parent is enrolled in the Rhode Island Comprehensive 1115 Demonstration (formerly Global Consumer Choice Compact Waiver) and assigned a case manager or care coordinator.
- Request the self-directed (Personal Choice) 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 fiscal intermediary. 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 Rhode Island's caregiver-pay programs and other benefits.
Check Eligibility NowOther Programs That May Pay Rhode Island 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, Rhode Island'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 401-462-4444.
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 Rhode Island 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 $22 per hour, earnings reach about $3,813 per month — around $45,760 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
- Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS): eohhs.ri.gov | 1-855-840-4774
- Apply for Medicaid: healthsourceri.com/medicaid
- State aging services: oha.ri.gov | 401-462-4444
- Eldercare Locator (find local help): eldercare.acl.gov | 1-800-677-1116
- Medicaid (federal): medicaid.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
Under Personal Choice the participant directs an individualized budget and sets the caregiver's wage, commonly in the range of about $15–$22 per hour depending on the care plan and region. A fiscal intermediary processes payroll and tax withholding.
Personal Choice (also called Self-Directed Care) is Rhode Island's self-directed Medicaid long-term services and supports option. It lets the participant choose who provides their care and when, including hiring a friend or relative.
No. Under Personal Choice, spouses and legal guardians are prohibited from being the paid caregiver. Other relatives age 18 or older, such as an adult child, niece, or nephew, can be hired and paid.
Rhode Island's entire Medicaid program runs under the Comprehensive 1115 Demonstration, previously the Global Consumer Choice Compact Waiver, and the Personal Choice self-direction option within it allows paid family caregiving.
Apply for Medicaid online at HealthSourceRI.com or by phone at 1-855-840-4774, or in person at a Department of Human Services office. To explore Personal Choice and aging services, contact the ADRC (POINT) at 401-462-4444.
Yes. If your parent qualifies for Medicaid LTSS, dementia-related care needs can support eligibility for the Personal Choice self-direction option. Your parent can hire you, an adult child, as their paid caregiver, though a spouse or legal guardian cannot be paid.
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 Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS). Sources: eohhs.ri.gov · oha.ri.gov.