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Family Caregiver Pay Map · District of Columbia · Verified October 19, 2026

District of Columbia: Who Can Be a Paid Family Caregiver Under Medicaid

The District's Elderly and Persons with Physical Disabilities waiver lets a relative or friend be the paid personal care aide through a home health agency or the Services My Way self-directed option, but excludes the spouse, the parent of a minor and any other legally responsible relative; waiver enrollment is slot-limited.

Spouse
No
Adult child / other relatives
Yes
Friends / neighbors
Yes
Parent of a minor child
No

Who can be paid: Adult children, parents of an adult, siblings, other relatives, friends and neighbors who complete the aide training and background checks; not a spouse, a parent of a minor child, a legally responsible relative or a court-appointed guardian.

The Home Care Agency is a free enrollment matching service — not a home care agency, not a Medicaid plan, and not a government agency. This research is educational. Eligibility, authorized hours and payment are always determined by the state program and, where applicable, the managed care plan.

The programs behind the answer

Elderly and Persons with Physical Disabilities (EPD) Waiver — Personal Care Aide services through home health agencies, or the Services My Way participant-directed option

Administered by DC Department of Health Care Finance.

  • Who employs the caregiver: Agency or self-directed
  • Waitlist: Capped enrollment
  • Participant-directed workers are employed by the participant through a vendor fiscal/employer agent; waiver enrollment is slot-limited and first-come, first-served

Medicaid state plan Personal Care Aide services

Administered by DC Department of Health Care Finance.

  • Who employs the caregiver: Agency employs the caregiver
  • Waitlist: No waitlist
  • Type: State plan entitlement (serves everyone who qualifies)
  • Agency-employed aides; same exclusion of legally responsible relatives

How to apply in District of Columbia

We do not yet have partner agencies in District of Columbia. Start with the program's administering agency — DC Department of Health Care Finance — using the official sources below; the state determines eligibility and enrolls participants.

Official sources

Facts on this page were last reviewed October 19, 2026 against the sources above. Program rules change; confirm with the program before making decisions. Method: how the Pay Map is verified.

Questions

Questions About Paid Family Caregiving in District of Columbia

Can a spouse be paid to care for their husband or wife in District of Columbia?
No. District of Columbia's rules exclude the spouse from being the paid caregiver; other family members usually can be.
Who can be the paid caregiver in District of Columbia?
Adult children, parents of an adult, siblings, other relatives, friends and neighbors who complete the aide training and background checks; not a spouse, a parent of a minor child, a legally responsible relative or a court-appointed guardian.
Is there a waitlist for Medicaid home care in District of Columbia?
Elderly and Persons with Physical Disabilities (EPD) Waiver — Personal Care Aide services through home health agencies, or the Services My Way participant-directed option: capped enrollment (Participant-directed workers are employed by the participant through a vendor fiscal/employer agent; waiver enrollment is slot-limited and first-come, first-served). Medicaid state plan Personal Care Aide services: no waitlist (Agency-employed aides; same exclusion of legally responsible relatives).
Who decides eligibility?
The state program, never The Home Care Agency. The Home Care Agency is a free enrollment matching service — not a home care agency, not a Medicaid plan, and not a government agency. This research is educational. Eligibility, authorized hours and payment are always determined by the state program and, where applicable, the managed care plan.