Family members in Delaware can be paid to care for a parent or other relative at home through the state's Medicaid long-term care program. That program, Diamond State Health Plan Plus (DSHP-Plus), covers attendant care, and a member who self-directs it can hire a family member, friend or neighbor as the paid attendant., Delaware DSHP-Plus attendant care family caregiver pay starts with a call to the Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 1-800-223-9074.

Who Can Be Paid as a DSHP-Plus Attendant?

Your relationship to the member Can you be paid? What decides it
Adult child or other family member Yes The member self-directs and hires you
Friend or neighbor Yes The member self-directs and hires you
Spouse Ask the program Not stated in the rules we cite
Relative who lives with the member Ask the program No live-in rule in the rules we cite
Representative who directs the member's services No Can't be the paid attendant for that member

A member's legal representative may direct DSHP-Plus services, but under the federal terms for Delaware's program can't also be paid to provide them. If you hold your parent's power of attorney and want to be the paid attendant, raise it before anyone is named representative.

The Delaware rules we cite don't say whether a spouse can be the paid DSHP-Plus attendant, so ask the ADRC. Our spouse guide covers the other routes for married couples, including VA caregiver benefits.

How Delaware DSHP-Plus Attendant Care Pays a Family Caregiver

DSHP-Plus is Delaware's mandatory managed care Medicaid program for long-term services and supports for residents who are elderly or physically disabled. Consumer-directed attendant care is one of its benefits.

Under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) terms for Delaware's DSHP-Plus program, approved for July 1, 2024 through December 31, 2028, a member who chooses to self-direct attendant care must have the opportunity to have choice and control over how it is provided and who provides it.,

Who that can be is spelled out in the 2020 managed care contract of Delaware's Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance (DMMA): members "shall have the flexibility to hire persons with whom they have a close personal relationship to serve as an Attendant Care Employee, such as a neighbor, friend, or family member." A January 2019 CMS review of Delaware's personal care services reported that "Family members are allowed to render services and receive reimbursement as direct care workers." The 2020 contract is the version we cite, so ask your plan to confirm its current hiring paperwork.

Does Your Parent Qualify for DSHP-Plus?

This paid-attendant option opens only once your parent is enrolled in DSHP-Plus. Delaware DMMA's Pre-Admission Screening Unit decides DSHP-Plus medical eligibility, and your parent must need nursing facility level of care, meet the technical and financial rules, and then choose a managed care organization.

In 2026, Delaware's long-term care Medicaid income limit for a single applicant is $2,485 a month, which is 250% of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) standard. In 2026, a single applicant's countable resources for Delaware long-term care Medicaid are limited to $2,000, so savings above that line can keep your parent out of the program and out of the option to hire you. An applicant whose income is over the $2,485 limit can still qualify through a Miller Trust built to Delaware's rules. Delaware Medicaid also looks back 60 months at uncompensated transfers, such as money or property your parent gave away, including gifts to you. Talk to the ADRC before any money changes hands. The full rules are in Delaware Medicaid income and asset limits and how Delaware Medicaid pays for home care.

Delaware DSHP-Plus Attendant Care: Hours and Family Caregiver Pay

Typical pay is about $16.50 an hour, the May 2025 median for home health and personal care aides in Delaware from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It's a wage estimate for the occupation, not a DSHP-Plus pay rate.

The DSHP-Plus rules we cite don't state a weekly hours cap for adult self-directed attendant care. Ask your parent's managed care plan how many hours it will authorize.

Is DSHP-Plus Attendant Pay Taxable?

IRS Notice 2014-7 lets a caregiver exclude qualified Medicaid waiver payments from federal income only when the person cared for lives in the caregiver's home. For a state Medicaid program other than a home and community-based services waiver program, the IRS says the answer "will depend on the nature of the payments and the purpose and design of the program." DSHP-Plus runs under Delaware's Section 1115 demonstration, so ask a tax professional how your pay is treated. See whether Medicaid caregiver payments are taxable.

How to Start

1
Step 1

Call the ADRC

at 1-800-223-9074 and ask about DSHP-Plus self-directed attendant care.

2
Step 2

Apply for Medicaid if your parent isn't enrolled

, online through Delaware ASSIST or through DMMA's Medicaid Central Intake Unit at 1-866-940-8963. See how to apply for Delaware Medicaid.

3
Step 3

Choose a managed care plan

once your parent is found eligible.

4
Step 4

Elect DSHP-Plus self-directed attendant care

and name the family member you want to hire, making sure that person isn't also the member's directing representative.

5
Step 5

Ask the plan

about hours, the attendant's pay and payroll before the first shift.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Delaware Medicaid take my mom's house after she dies?

Delaware's estate recovery policy applies to people 55 and older applying for long-term care, but the state won't seek recovery while there's a surviving spouse, a child under 21, or a blind or disabled child who lived in the home right before the death. Delaware also can't recover on a lien against the home while a son or daughter lives there who moved in at least two years before Mom's long-term care began, has stayed since, and can show the state that their care kept her at home, though it can still recover from other estate assets.

Can DSHP-Plus give me a break from caregiving?

Yes. Delaware lists respite care and adult day services among DSHP-Plus benefits, so ask your parent's plan what it will authorize.

Does DSHP-Plus pay for care in an assisted living facility?

Delaware lists assisted living care among DSHP-Plus benefits, alongside personal care, home-delivered meals and home modifications. Ask the plan which services fit your parent's needs.

Learn More

CaregiverHow to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in DelawareDelaware Medicaid's DSHP-Plus lets members self-direct attendant care and choose who provides it. Whether family or a spouse can be paid: ask the ADRC. CaregiverHow to Get Paid to Care for Your Spouse in DelawareDelaware Medicaid offers self-directed attendant care, but whether a spouse can be the paid attendant is unconfirmed. The VA pays spouses. Here is how to check. CaregiverDelaware's Attendant Services Program: Who Qualifies and Can Family Be PaidDelaware's Attendant Services Program lets an adult with a disability hire and manage their own paid attendant. Who qualifies, and whether family can be paid. CaregiverCaregiver Programs in DelawareEvery caregiver program in Delaware: paid family caregiver pathways, NFCSP respite help, VA benefits, and taxes explained for family caregivers in 2026. MedicaidHow Delaware Medicaid Pays for Home and Community CareDelaware Medicaid HCBS waivers explained: how Diamond State Health Plan Plus (DSHP-Plus) pays for home and community care, who qualifies, and how to apply.

Find personalized help getting paid to care for a parent through Delaware's DSHP-Plus attendant care at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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