A family member caring for a parent or relative at home may be paid through Washington Apple Health personal care, which covers help with daily activities and household tasks.,, Your relative picks their own Individual Provider, who can be a family member employed through Consumer Direct Care Network Washington (CDWA). Your relative must qualify for Apple Health long-term care, so apply there first.

In This Guide

What Apple Health Personal Care Pays For in Washington

Washington Apple Health pays for in-home personal care through two Medicaid state plan programs, both covering help with daily activities, household tasks and health-related tasks. You don't choose: DSHS's CARE assessment of your relative's needs decides which one applies.,

When DSHS authorizes care through Home and Community Services or an Area Agency on Aging, Washington's CFC and MPC both require the person to be 18 or older and enrolled in categorically needy or alternative benefit plan Apple Health., Someone who isn't financially eligible for those groups but qualifies financially for a home and community based waiver can still get CFC in Washington, as long as they receive at least one waiver service every month. For waiver coverage in 2026, Washington's income limit is $2,982 a month and its asset limit for a single person is $2,000 (full limits). Near or over them? Check the full limits before ruling Apple Health out.

People on Washington's Community Options Program Entry System (COPES) waiver get their personal care through CFC; COPES adds services such as home-delivered meals and adult day care.

Which Family Members Washington Apple Health Personal Care Can Pay

DSHS says family members who care for a relative "can become paid caregivers if the care recipient qualifies for Medicaid Long Term Services and Supports." Your relative chooses the Individual Provider, and DSHS's Long-Term Care Manual says "An IP can be a family member." So the care you already give can become a paid job, as long as your relative qualifies.

Your relationship Paid as an Individual Provider? Paid through a home care agency?
Adult child or other relative Yes Generally no; exceptions below
Relative who lives with the person Yes Generally no; exceptions below
Spouse No No
Representative who is also the paid caregiver Yes; someone else helps plan care Ask the case manager

State law bars DSHS from paying a home care agency when the client's family member provides the care, with exceptions for a family member older than the client (where federal law permits), case-by-case health and safety approvals or a transition of up to three months, and, within available funds, enrolled tribal members and their households.,

Washington's CFC plan lets a participant appoint a service-planning representative "who is not a paid caregiver"; if no unpaid alternate is available, the case manager may help instead.

Caring for your husband or wife? DSHS names two programs that do allow spouses to be paid: Veteran-Directed Care may, for a spouse who is a veteran and qualifies, and the WA Cares Fund will, for a spouse who has earned WA Cares benefits and meets the required level of need. See our Washington spouse pay guide.

How the Pay Works

You wouldn't be paid by DSHS directly. Consumer Direct Care Network Washington is the legal employer of every Individual Provider and runs payroll, while your relative stays the managing employer who selects, schedules, supervises and can dismiss you.

The CARE assessment sets the maximum number of personal care hours, and those hours can go to a home care agency, an Individual Provider, or both. Most Washington Individual Providers have a 40-hour work week limit; hours over 40, including required training, are paid as overtime. So one family member may not cover every assessed hour; an agency or second provider can take the rest.

Typical pay is about $22.95 an hour (estimate based on home care aide wages in Washington, BLS, May 2025). That's a wage estimate for the occupation, not a rate Apple Health pays a family caregiver; ask CDWA for your actual rate.

Under Washington's long-term-care worker training rule, a relative caring only for a family member such as a parent, sibling or grandparent must complete 2 hours of orientation and 3 hours of safety training before providing paid care, then 30 hours of basic training within 120 days of hire. DSHS warns that if training isn't finished on time, payment is terminated. Missing Washington's training deadline stops an Individual Provider's pay, so book the 30 hours of basic training early.

How to Start Getting Paid in Washington

1
Step 1

Apply for Apple Health long-term care

online through Washington Connection, by phone at the DSHS Customer Service Contact Center (1-877-501-2233), or at a local DSHS or Home and Community Services office. See our Washington Medicaid application guide.

2
Step 2

Complete the CARE assessment

with the case manager, who determines functional eligibility and the monthly personal care hours.,

3
Step 3

Your relative chooses you as their Individual Provider

, and you apply directly to CDWA at 866-214-9899. DSHS requires a background check, photo ID and U.S. work authorization.,

4
Step 4

Finish your training on time

, starting with Washington's required 5 hours of orientation and safety training before your first paid shift.

Official pages: the Washington State Health Care Authority's Community First Choice page and DSHS's Becoming a Paid Caregiver.,,

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my parent's paid hours drop because I live with them?

Not because of your paid help. DSHS adjusts hours for informal supports such as family and housemates, but "will not consider an individual provider to be a source of informal support."

Can I be paid for caring for both of my parents?

Yes, if each qualifies, but DSHS pays in-home providers only once for the same hour of care, even in a household with two clients.

Will my parent have to pay anything toward the care?

A parent on Washington's CFC alone, living at home, won't have to pay toward the cost of care. On CFC plus a waiver such as COPES, your parent may have to pay toward care, and that payment goes to CDWA, not to you.,

Learn More

CaregiverHow to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in WashingtonGet paid to care for a family member in Washington in 2026: Community First Choice individual providers, CDWA, the WA Cares spousal pathway, and VA options. CaregiverBecoming a Paid Individual Provider in WashingtonIn Washington, you can be paid to care for a parent on Medicaid as a CDWA Individual Provider. You train 35 hours; most work up to 40 hours a week. CaregiverGetting Paid to Care for Your Spouse in WashingtonCan you get paid to care for your spouse in Washington? Apple Health says no, but WA Cares (live since July 2026) and VA programs pay a husband or wife. CaregiverWA Cares Fund: How to Get Paid as a Family CaregiverYes, WA Cares can pay a relative, even a spouse, to provide care through CDWA or an agency. Who has earned it, the $36,500 2026 cap, and every step to start. CaregiverCaregiver Programs in Washington StateEvery caregiver program in Washington: paid family caregiver pathways, the new WA Cares spousal benefit, MAC/TSOA, NFCSP grants, VA benefits, and taxes.

Find personalized help getting paid to care for a relative through Washington Apple Health 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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