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Getting paid to care for a parent in Connecticut

Updated 2026-08-10 · Every figure below is dated and sourced · Rules change — confirm with the agency
The short answer: Connecticut's door is Community First Choice (CFC) — Connecticut's Medicaid state-plan self-directed personal care option (for a parent 65+, entry usually runs through the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders, CHCPE), run by Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS), Community Options Unit. Pay: Fiscal intermediary is GT Independence, 1-877-659-4500 (customerservice@gtsd.org), which runs payroll, taxes, and timesheets for CT's self-directed PCA/CFC programs since March 2024.

One or more details on this page could not be fully confirmed against official sources at publish time — confirm specifics with the agency below.

Who can be the paid caregiver

Adult children, grandchildren, siblings, other relatives, and friends can all be hired as the paid PCA under CFC or the PCA waiver. Under Adult Family Living the caregiver must be 18+, live in the same home as the parent, pass a background check, and cannot be the spouse. Excluded everywhere: the spouse, and the person's legal guardian/conservator (agencies also list health care representative for CFC).

The spouse question

No. Spouses cannot be paid under CFC, the PCA waiver, or Adult Family Living — this is consistent across all CT Medicaid home-care doors. The only realistic paths for a spouse are the VA routes (Veteran-Directed Care and the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers both allow spouses) or a private personal-services contract.

Waitlist reality

CFC is a state-plan entitlement — no waitlist ever; if the parent qualifies, services must start. CHCPE's Medicaid waiver arm is capped (~22,000 slots) and can waitlist when full, though it has generally kept enrollment open; the state-funded CHCPE category (for people over Medicaid asset limits) is budget-dependent. The PCA waiver (ages 18-64) is slot-limited and does run a waitlist. Application processing itself commonly takes up to 3 months — plan for that gap.

Worth knowing: Disqualifiers to be upfront about: (1) Spouses can never be the paid caregiver in any CT Medicaid program — VA programs or private-pay contracts are the only spouse routes. (2) Legal guardians/conservators are also excluded. (3) Medicaid (HUSKY C) financial limits are strict — CT's asset limit is only $1,600 for the applicant (2026), and CFC-only applicants face a low income cap (~$1,413/month, 2026); many families instead qualify through the CHCPE waiver income limit ($2,982/month, 2026) or the state-funded CHCPE track (asset cap $48,798 single, 3% cost-share). (4) AFL requires the caregiver to live with the parent — no live-in, no stipend. (5) All hours run through Electronic Visit Verification; unlogged care is unpaid. Confidence is 'partial' only because DSS does not publish the four AFL stipend level amounts — those figures ($2,200-$2,700/month range) come from AFL provider agencies and should be confirmed with the chosen agency; the $23.00/hr PCA rate is fully verified (state press release, union, CT Mirror). Recent change worth noting: self-directed PCA services moved out of CHCPE proper into Community First Choice, so families will hear both names during intake — same door, DSS 1-800-445-5394.

Other doors in Connecticut

ProgramWhat to know
Adult Family Living (AFL) — CT's structured family caregivingUnder CHCPE: a live-in adult child or other relative (not a spouse) gets a tax-free daily stipend at one of four DSS care levels, administered through an AFL agency (Careforth, ABL, Gifted Hands, etc.) that provides training and support. Agencies report roughly $2,200-$2,700/month. Caregiver must co-reside; room and board are not covered.
Personal Care Assistance (PCA) WaiverThe equivalent door if the parent is 18-64 with a severe chronic disability. Same $23.00/hr union rate and same spouse exclusion; slot-limited, so expect a waitlist. Apply via the same DSS Community Options number.
CHCPE state-funded categoryFor parents over the Medicaid asset limit — 2026 asset cap $48,798 (single), no income limit, 3% cost-share on services. Same services including AFL.
Veteran-Directed Care (VDC)Available through VA Connecticut Healthcare System (West Haven/Newington): the veteran gets a monthly budget and can hire family, including a spouse. Ask the VA social worker or call the VA Caregiver Support Line, 1-855-260-3274.
VA Aid & Attendance pensionCash pension (up to $2,424/month for a single wartime veteran, 2026) the veteran can use to privately pay any family caregiver.
CT Statewide Respite Care Program / National Family Caregiver Support ProgramNot a paycheck, but the Area Agencies on Aging fund respite breaks and supplemental services for unpaid caregivers — call 1-800-994-9422.

Wartime veteran or surviving spouse in the family? VA Aid & Attendance stacks on top of state programs — see the national guide.

How to apply — step by step

  1. 1. Call the DSS Community Options Unit at 1-800-445-5394 (press option 4 for the CT Home Care Program for Elders) and ask for a CHCPE screening with the Community First Choice self-direction option. You can also dial 2-1-1 (option 3).
  2. 2. Submit the CT Home Care Program application (downloadable at portal.ct.gov/dss under CHCPE > Apply; mail to DSS, 55 Farmington Ave., Hartford, CT 06105) plus the Medicaid/HUSKY C long-term-services application (W-1LTSS) if the parent isn't already on Medicaid.
  3. 3. DSS sends a nurse/care manager to the home for a functional assessment — the parent must need nursing-home level of care (help with things like bathing, dressing, toileting, medications).
  4. 4. Once approved, choose self-direction: the parent (or their representative) formally hires you as the PCA and enrolls with the fiscal intermediary, Aris Solutions (866-970-3301), which runs payroll, taxes, and timesheets.
  5. 5. If you live with your parent and want the stipend model instead of hourly wages, ask the care manager about Adult Family Living and pick an AFL provider agency, which trains and pays you.
  6. 6. Log hours through Connecticut's Electronic Visit Verification system; you're paid as a W-2 employee (hourly) or via the AFL daily stipend.

Where to start: CT Department of Social Services, Community Options Unit — 1-800-445-5394, option 4 (CT Home Care Program for Elders); portal.ct.gov/dss/health-and-home-care/connecticut-home-care-program-for-elders

Do it yourself vs. get help

Free, accredited help first, always: your Area Agency on Aging (eldercare.acl.gov) walks families through these applications at no charge, and your county Veterans Service Officer files VA claims free. Where Resbit fits: if you're working a job and don't have hours for hold music, Resbit finds what your family qualifies for, fills out the paperwork down to the signature line, and does the chasing — flat $49/month, and the screener that starts it is free.

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Sources & dates checked: Program rules and payment rates change. Everything here is educational — real eligibility is decided by the agencies, based on your family's details.