A family member caring for a parent or other relative (not a spouse) in Washington can become a paid caregiver when that person qualifies for Medicaid long-term services and supports. For adults who need nursing-home-level care at home, Washington's Community Options Program Entry System (COPES) waiver pays for added services such as adult day health and home-delivered meals, while the relative is paid for hands-on personal care through Community First Choice, as an Individual Provider employed by Consumer Direct Care Network Washington (CDWA). To start, apply for Apple Health long-term care at 1-877-501-2233.

In This Guide

What the COPES Waiver Pays For

COPES is a Section 1915(c) Medicaid waiver run by DSHS Home and Community Services. As of 2026, DSHS says COPES serves over 51,000 people who live in their own homes, adult family homes or assisted living facilities and would otherwise need nursing facility care.

Since July 1, 2015, personal care is no longer a COPES service. It comes through Washington's Community First Choice (CFC), and COPES works as a wraparound to it, so DSHS says it would be highly unusual for someone to be on COPES without CFC. Community First Choice is the federal 1915(k) option. A person who qualifies for both COPES and CFC can be enrolled in both at once.

At home, COPES can pay for adult day care, adult day health, environmental modifications, home-delivered meals, community choice guiding, skilled nursing, nursing services, specialized medical equipment and supplies, training, transportation, wellness education and community support. Respite care is not on that list. Our Washington respite care guide covers other options.

Who Qualifies for COPES in Washington

A Washington COPES applicant must meet all of these:

  • be 65 or older, or 18 or older and blind or living with a disability
  • be found by the CARE assessment to meet nursing facility level of care, or to be likely to need it within 30 days without waiver services
  • choose community services instead of a nursing facility
  • be eligible for institutional categorically needy Medicaid
  • have needs beyond what CFC alone provides

In Washington, nursing facility level of care means, for example, needing daily nursing care, help with at least two or three activities of daily living, or supervision for memory loss or wandering plus help with at least one daily activity.

In 2026, Washington's Medicaid special income level for COPES is $2,982 a month, and the resource limit is $2,000 for a single person. A parent's lifetime savings can feel at stake, yet Washington's COPES resource limit doesn't count everything they own. Income above 2026's $2,982 level doesn't automatically rule your parent out of COPES: DSHS can still find them eligible under a net-income test that subtracts costs such as the average nursing facility rate and medical bills, and the person then pays toward the cost of care. In 2026, a Washington COPES client living at home keeps a personal needs allowance of $2,982 a month, or $994 with a spouse at home; in assisted living, the allowance is $108.74 a month and room and board is $885.26 a month.,

COPES and CFC services received at 55 or older are subject to Washington estate recovery, though the state can't recover while a spouse, or a child under 21 or who is blind or disabled, survives. Knowing this early avoids a hard surprise.

Who Can Be Paid as a COPES Family Caregiver

Your relationship Can you be paid?
Adult child or other relative Yes, as an Individual Provider
Relative who lives with the person Yes, as an Individual Provider
Spouse No, under Apple Health
Relative hired through a home care agency Only if an exception applies

A home care agency generally can't bill Medicaid when its caregiver is the client's family member. Washington's family-member billing bar doesn't apply, to the extent federal law permits, when the relative is older than the client, DSHS may grant case-by-case exceptions, and tribal members have their own exception. If the person's representative is also their paid caregiver, someone else must act as their representative for care planning, as needed.

Caring for a husband or wife? WA Cares allows spouses to be paid caregivers when the person has earned WA Cares benefits and meets the required level of need. See getting paid to care for a spouse in Washington.

How COPES Family Caregiver Pay Works

You aren't paid by DSHS. You're employed by CDWA, which handles credentialing and payroll, while your parent, as managing employer, selects, schedules and supervises you.

Paid hours come from the CARE assessment, which sets the maximum used to build the care plan. Living together doesn't cut an Individual Provider's CARE-assessed hours in Washington on account of the provider's own help: DSHS doesn't count the provider as informal support. In Washington, most Individual Providers have a 40-hour weekly limit, with hours over 40 paid as overtime.

Typical pay: 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 any program pays a family caregiver; CDWA can tell you your actual rate.

How to Start Getting Paid in Washington

1
Step 1

Apply for Apple Health long-term care

online at Washington Connection, by calling DSHS at 1-877-501-2233, or at your local Home and Community Services office.

2
Step 2

Get the CARE assessment

A DSHS case manager decides whether your parent meets nursing facility level of care and how many monthly hours are authorized.

3
Step 3

Sign the acknowledgment

COPES services can't be authorized until your parent signs the Acknowledgment of Services form (DSHS 14-225).

4
Step 4

Apply to CDWA

at 866-214-9899 as your parent's chosen Individual Provider.

5
Step 5

Finish training

In Washington, an Individual Provider caring only for a relative such as a parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle completes 5 hours of orientation and safety training before paid care, and 30 hours of basic training within 120 days of hire.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an option if I stay an unpaid caregiver?

Yes. Medicaid Alternative Care (MAC) supports unpaid caregivers of a Medicaid-eligible person at nursing facility level of care, and estate recovery doesn't apply to it. Your parent chooses MAC instead of COPES or CFC, and MAC has had a statewide waitlist since December 1, 2025.

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. CaregiverWashington Caregiver ProgramsEvery caregiver program in Washington: paid family caregiver pathways, the new WA Cares spousal benefit, MAC/TSOA, NFCSP grants, VA benefits, and taxes. 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. 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. MedicaidHow Washington Medicaid HCBS Waivers WorkWashington Medicaid HCBS waivers run mainly through COPES, a 1915(c) waiver for adults at nursing-facility level of care. See who qualifies and how to apply. CaregiverWA Cares Fund: Getting 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.

Find personalized help getting paid to care for a parent on Washington's COPES waiver 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.

Still have questions?

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