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Get paid to care for a family member in Ohio

In Ohio, family members can be paid caregivers through Medicaid waivers. Spouses and parents of minor children can be paid in some circumstances after a screening, and structured family caregiving is a PASSPORT service.

Carevo editorial team Updated October 27, 2026 Source checked by Carevo editorial team, October 27, 2026

In Ohio, a family member can be a paid caregiver through Medicaid waivers. ODM says individuals who self-direct can have family members work as paid caregivers, and a rule effective January 1, 2024, lets spouses and parents of minor children be paid in some circumstances after a screening.

The programs that pay family

Ohio has no separate paid family caregiver program. Three routes exist, all tied to a Medicaid waiver.

  1. Self-direction on the Ohio Home Care Waiver and the MyCare Waiver. You hire and manage your caregiver and ODM's financial management service pays them. See self-direction in Ohio.
  2. Provider-managed services, where an agency or independent provider arranges and delivers services. The Ohio Home Care Waiver handbook says you may choose agency-based providers or non-agency providers (NAPs).
  3. Structured family caregiving, a PASSPORT service that began in October 2024, in which an agency employs or contracts a caregiver who lives with the participant. See structured family caregiving in Ohio.

Which relatives can be paid

ODM's Ohio Home Care Waiver handbook, last updated July 2026, answers "Can I choose a family member or relative to be my direct care worker?" as follows.

  • Parents of minor children and spouses can be direct care workers in some circumstances, listed in Ohio Administrative Code 5160-44-32.
  • Your case manager gives a screening tool called the Extraordinary Care Instrument (ECI) to decide if you or your child are eligible.
  • Relatives can also be direct care workers in some cases. There may be limits if the relative serves in a legal decision-making role such as Power of Attorney, Durable Power of Attorney or Authorized Representative.
  • Your case manager must search for alternative able and willing providers. If one is available, they must be authorized before a parent or spouse can be authorized.
  • If a parent of a minor or a spouse is authorized, the case manager must contact you every two to three months to search for alternatives.

ODM's HCBS training page says the rule allows parents of minor children and spouses to serve as direct care workers of waiver personal care and nursing services, and other relatives designated or appointed legal authority to serve as direct care workers of waiver services.

What the person receiving care needs

For the Ohio Home Care Waiver, ODM says you must meet Medicaid criteria, meet a nursing facility level of care and meet the requirements in Ohio Administrative Code 5160-46-02. For PASSPORT, ODM says you must meet Medicaid financial criteria, meet a nursing facility level of care and be 60 or older. See the Ohio overview for how to request a waiver using form ODM 02399.

How a relative gets paid

  1. The waiver participant tells their case manager they want to self-direct, and names the relative.
  2. The case manager screens spouses and parents of minors with the Extraordinary Care Instrument and searches for other able and willing providers.
  3. The participant and caregiver complete the Employer and Employee Agreement that ODM publishes.
  4. Payroll runs through ODM's financial management service. ODM names PPL.

ODM lists these employer duties for the participant: hiring, training, scheduling, overseeing work, approving timesheets, and, with budget authority, setting wages.

Pay

We do not state an hourly rate. In self-direction, ODM says wages come from your individual budget, which is based on your assessed needs. ODM publishes budget worksheets, and your care manager can walk you through yours.

Where to start

Call your case manager, or if you do not yet have a waiver, submit ODM Form 02399 to your county Department of Job and Family Services. The Medicaid Consumer Hotline is 800-324-8680 and the self-direction questions address is [email protected].

Carevo is a connection platform and directory. We do not enroll anyone, run payroll or advise on eligibility. For agency help in the meantime, see home care in Ohio.

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Common questions

Can I be paid to care for my parent in Ohio?

Often yes, if your parent is on an Ohio Medicaid waiver. ODM says individuals who self-direct can have family members work as paid caregivers. Relatives who hold a legal decision-making role such as Power of Attorney may face limits.

Can a spouse be paid?

In some circumstances. ODM's Direct Care Worker Relationship Rule, effective January 1, 2024, allows spouses to serve as direct care workers of waiver personal care and nursing services. The case manager uses the Extraordinary Care Instrument and must first look for other able and willing providers.

Can a parent be paid to care for a minor child?

In some circumstances, under the same rule and the same screening. If a parent is authorized, the case manager must contact you every two to three months to search for other providers.

What is the Extraordinary Care Instrument?

ODM's screening tool, ODM 10372, used to decide whether a spouse or parent of a minor can be a paid direct care worker.

What is structured family caregiving in Ohio?

A PASSPORT waiver service added in October 2024. The Department of Aging says agency providers employ or contract a caregiver who resides with the individual to give daily care and support.

Who pays the caregiver in self-direction?

ODM's designated financial management services vendor processes payroll. ODM names Public Partnerships LLC (PPL).

Sources

Review status: Carevo checked this page against the primary sources listed above. It has not been professionally reviewed by a registered nurse, licensed social worker, benefits counselor or attorney. See our editorial standards.

This page is general information, not financial, legal or medical advice. Rules and services vary by state and by individual circumstances. Use the official sources and decision-maker named on the page. Carevo is a connection platform, not a care provider.