Talk to caring people for practical caregiving information and help finding local resources/services.
Contact your local Family Caregiver Support Program.
There are several ways to become a paid caregiver. You can be hired by:
- A home care agency, adult family home, assisted living facility, or nursing home and be paid by the agency or facility to provide care.
- The person needing care and be paid by him or her directly.
- The person needing care and be paid by the state to provide care services.
Home Care Agencies and Facilities that Hire Caregivers
Home care agencies hire, train, pay, supervise, and are responsible for the care you provide as a paid caregiver in someone’s home. Contact them directly to see if they have any openings. Use The National Association of Home Care and Hospice locator to get a listing of home care agencies in your area.
Adult family homes, assisted living facilities, and nursing home hire, train, pay, and supervise their caregivers. Contact them directly to see if they have any openings. Use the links here to learn more about these types of facilities and get a listing of facilities where you live.
In-Home Caregiver (Individual Provider)
The state pays for a caregiver if the person needing care lives at home, is eligible for care services and needs Medicaid to help pay for them. In this situation, the person who needs care hires and supervises the caregiver, but the caregiver is paid by the Consumer Directed Employer vendor for these services.
All IPs are employees of the Consumer Directed Employer (CDE), Consumer Direct Care Washington. If you have someone you would like to become your caregiver, you can send them to Consumer Direct Care Washington to begin the hiring process.
All IPs are represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) local 775. Learn more.
The types of care tasks that an IP is authorized to do and the number of hours a client is eligible for is determined by a care plan. It is up to the client and CDE to determine how many hours an IP can work. The care plan is the result of a care assessment completed by the DSHS social worker/case manager working directly with the person who needs care.
An IP must meet a number of requirements to be hired, including
- Be 18 or older.
- Pass a criminal conviction background check.
- Provider picture ID and be authorized to work in the U.S.
- Not be the spouse of the person getting care.
- Successfully complete all the caregiver training requirements.
Family or friends as unpaid caregivers
The majority of people who provide care for an adult family member or friend are not paid. There is free or low cost help for unpaid caregivers through the Family Caregiver Support Program. Learn more about the services offered through the Family Caregiver Support Program.
CarinaCare
Carina helps individuals, families and home care professionals find qualified, verified caregivers and more hours. Find out more about this free resource at www.carina.org/