Yes, family members can get paid as caregivers under NHTD through the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), a service option built into the waiver. Spouses and parents of minor children are the exception; they cannot be paid under this program. Working with an experienced provider like Housecalls Home Care can make enrollment far less confusing.
Caring for a loved one is exhausting, both physically and emotionally. Many families reach a point where they are providing hands-on care every day, often at the expense of their own jobs and finances. If this sounds familiar, you are likely wondering whether that care can be compensated.
The New York Nursing Home Transition and Diversion (NHTD) Medicaid waiver was designed to help individuals with disabilities live safely at home instead of in an institutional setting. One of its most valuable features allows certain family members to become paid caregivers. Understanding how this works can relieve real financial pressure while keeping your loved one surrounded by people they trust.
Can Family Members Get Paid as Caregivers Under NHTD Waiver Services?
The NHTD waiver itself does not directly pay family members. Instead, it gives participants access to the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, commonly known as CDPAP. This program allows Medicaid recipients to recruit, hire, and direct their own caregivers, including many relatives, rather than relying solely on an agency to assign staff.
What Is the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program?
CDPAP puts the participant, or their designated representative, in control of who provides their care. According to the New York State Department of Health, this consumer-directed model was created to give Medicaid recipients more independence and flexibility over daily support.
Under this model, family members can be trained and paid to assist with:
- Personal care tasks: Bathing, dressing, grooming, and mobility support.
- Household support: Meal preparation, light housekeeping, and errands.
- Health-related tasks: Medication reminders and assistance with prescribed exercises.
Which Family Members Cannot Be Paid Caregivers?
Not every relative qualifies for compensation under CDPAP. Spouses cannot be paid to care for their partners, and parents cannot be paid to care for their minor children. Adult children, siblings, and other relatives are generally eligible, which opens the door for many families to formalize the care they are already providing.
How Does Housecalls Home Care Help Families Access CDPAS?
Enrolling in CDPAP alongside your NHTD waiver services involves paperwork, approvals, and coordination between multiple agencies. That process can feel overwhelming when you are already stretched thin.
Housecalls Home Care works alongside families to simplify each step, from completing enrollment forms to connecting with a fiscal intermediary that manages caregiver payroll. Families partnering with Housecalls Home Care often say the guidance made an intimidating process feel manageable, because someone who understands NHTD requirements was there to walk them through it.
What Other Home Care Services Does the NHTD Waiver Cover?
CDPAP is only one piece of the NHTD waiver. Depending on your loved one’s needs, additional home care services may include service coordination, home and vehicle modifications, assistive technology, and community integration counseling. Together, these services are meant to keep your loved one living safely and independently at home, not just cared for, but genuinely supported.
Getting the Support Your Family Deserves
Learning that family members can get paid as caregivers under NHTD often brings relief to families who have been carrying this responsibility quietly, without support or recognition. That relief deserves to turn into action.
Our home care intake team has helped many families navigate NHTD enrollment, CDPAP paperwork, and long-term care planning from start to finish. Reach out to us today by calling 718-922-9200 to let us help you build a care plan that supports both your loved one and the family members caring for them.
