Becoming a Paid Caregiver in Oklahoma

Are you currently caring for a loved one and looking for ways to be compensated for your valuable work? Or perhaps you need to hire a caregiver and would prefer to pay a family member or friend. In Oklahoma, there are several programs that can help you achieve this.

Veteran Directed Care (VDC) Program

For veterans, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL) offer a program that provides veterans with long-term services and support to help them stay in their homes. The VDC program is for veterans who are at risk of nursing home placement and gives them “choice and control” over their long-term services.

Through this program, eligible veterans can:

  • Choose the services and supports they use.
  • Hire their own workers, including family and friends.
  • Manage a flexible budget provided by the VA to pay for their care.
  • Work with a VDC provider to create a spending plan and connect with community resources.

To be eligible, a veteran must be of any age, enrolled in VA health care, want to live in their own home, meet the clinical need for the program, and be interested in directing their own services. The VDC program was known as Veteran-Directed Home and Community Based Services (VD-HCBS) until 2018. For more information:

Oklahoma Medicaid Waivers: The Self-Direction Option

In Oklahoma, you can become a paid caregiver for a family member through state waiver programs. These programs allow the person receiving care to “self-direct” their services. This is often referred to as the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services and Supports (CDPASS) program.

Here’s how it works:

  • The family member needing care must be enrolled in an Oklahoma Medicaid waiver program.
  • All waiver programs in Oklahoma offer the self-direction option, with the exception of the Homeward Bound Waiver.
  • The care recipient, or “member,” becomes the employer. They can hire their own personal assistant, which can be a family member.
  • The member works with their case manager to enroll in the self-direction program.
  • The member manages a personalized budget to pay their caregiver.
  • The member makes decisions about their personal care services and is responsible for recruiting, hiring, training, and supervising their caregiver.

The ADvantage Waiver and Medically Fragile Waiver are two programs that offer the CDPASS option. The ADvantage Waiver is for frail elders and adults with physical disabilities. The Medically Fragile Waiver is for those who are medically fragile or technology-dependent.

For more information on the CDPASS program, you can visit the Oklahoma Human Services website at https://oklahoma.gov/okdhs/services/aging/cdpass.html.

Additional Resources for Caregivers

Oklahoma also offers other programs to support caregivers and those they care for:

  • Adult Day Health Services: These state-funded programs provide services to older adults and people with disabilities, including health monitoring, meals, transportation, and social activities.
  • Respite Care: The Oklahoma Family Caregiver Coalition has Respite Care Locator on http://www.okcares.org/ and it provide valuable information and services for temporary relief from caregiving duties.

 

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