Home Help Services
The Michigan Medicaid Waiver Program For Family Caregivers
Michigan has a statewide Medicaid program called The Home Help Program that supports individuals who need or want to care for a family member, a friend, or a neighbor. Through this program, and in partnership with home care agencies like Guardian Home Care of MI, family caregivers can receive wages and benefits for the care they provide. They also receive recognition and support so they can deliver care without compromising their needs and well-being.
What Are MI's Eligibility Criteria To Be As a Family Caregiver?
Family caregivers must be at least 18 years old, may be a relative, friend, neighbor of the care seeker, or health care agency, and capable of providing the necessary care.
There are also criteria on the person they give care to:
The care seeker must be a Michigan resident.
They cannot be the spouse or the minor child of the caregiver.
They must have physical or mental limitations that prevent them from performing daily living tasks.
Their income, assets, and home ownership must meet Medicaid limitations (the link takes you to the Home Help Program page of the Medicaid Planning Assistance website).
What Documentation Is Needed To Apply For The Home Help Program?
For the caregiver, we guide them through their registration on the Community Health Automated Medicaid Processing System (CHAMPS). It is important to note that the application process may take time, as MDHHS allows Adult Services Workers 45 days to make an eligibility determination, and CHAMPS takes up to 10 days to do background checks on caregivers.
The following are some of the requirements in the qualification process for either the person receiving care:
A Medical Needs form must be signed by the doctor of the person receiving care indicating the need for care. It verifies the need for care to the state.
The person receiving care will also need to fill out an Adult Services Application form, which we'd then send to MDHHS along with their Medical Needs form.
And those are some of the requirements in the qualification process for the family/friend caregiver:
Caregivers must get registered in the State of Michigan's CHAMPS system in order to receive payment for their services.
While individuals with criminal records can still be paid caregivers, certain crimes may disqualify them.
Income or Assets Over The Medicaid Limits?
There may still be a way to eligibility! Michigan put in place a few planning strategies to help residents whose income or assets are over the Medicaid limits to qualify for the MI Medicaid Waiver. Some are simple and others are very complex. Example of these strategies are: Irrevocable Prepaid Funeral Contracts, Spousal Asset Transfer, Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts (MAPTs), Medically Needy Program, etc. Note that Irrevocable Funeral Trusts (IFTs) are unfortunately not allowed in Michigan. Here is where you can review these planning strategies that help MI residents qualify for the Home Help program.
Why Choose Guardian Home Care of MI To Handle Your Home Help Benefits?
At Guardian Home Care of MI, we are committed to providing exceptional support for individuals applying for or qualified under the Michigan Medicaid Waiver program. To best serve our Home Help Program clients and their family caregivers, we’ve proudly brought on our team a seasoned expert with years of experience as a Case Manager for the Family Caregiver Program.
To best support our Family Caregiver Program clients and family caregivers, our care team’s expertise also includes handling the following and more. If you need guidance or want to know how we can help in your specific situation, use the buttons below to get in touch with us.
Competitive Pay & Reliable Payments
We offer competitive pay for our family and friend caregivers for their services, and pay them weekly and timely.
Expertise & Administrative Relief
We can support you on a few fronts, from coordinating with your case manager, to handling onboarding, payroll, and benefits (including the less obvious ones).
Ongoing Program Guidance
We stay up-to-date with the Home Help Program requirements, ensuring you remain compliant and continue receiving benefits.
What Do Caregivers Under The Michigan Home Help Program Actually Do?
Medication management (medication reminders, etc.)
Companion services
Meal preparation
Grocery shopping
Home exercise
Helping with brushing hair, teeth, and other hygienic activities
Helping to transfer from the bed to a wheelchair, or from a wheelchair to a toilet, etc.
Helping them to walk
Light housekeeping or chore services
Bathing, toileting (incontinence care), etc.
Assistance with activities that are part of daily life
Steps To Receiving Home Care with a Family Caregiver
In-Home Assessment
The person receiving care gets assigned an Adult Service Worker who evaluates their home safety and determines how many hours they’re eligible for.
Onboarding of The Family Caregiver
We sign up the family or friend caregiver on CHAMPS, where state will initiate their background check. If they’re eligible, we send give them an offer letter and access to a 6-hour online training.
Start of The Paid Care
The family caregiver can clock in and out when they provide care, and receive their pay however they chose (check, direct deposit, etc).
