Short answer: yes, you may be able to. Georgia’s best-known family caregiver program, Structured Family Care (SFC), requires you to live with your loved one and care for them full time. But there is a second Georgia Medicaid option, Personal Support Services (PSS), that does not. At Freedom Adult Care, we call it our Family Hire program.
Why SFC might not work for you
Structured Family Care pays a family caregiver a set amount every day. To qualify, you need to:
- Live in the same home as your loved one
- Be their caregiver full time, without another job
If you have a job you can’t leave, or your mom or dad lives across town, SFC usually isn’t the right fit.
How Family Hire works instead
With Family Hire, Freedom Adult Care hires you as your loved one’s aide.
- Your loved one has Georgia Medicaid and is on the CCSP or SOURCE waiver.
- Their care plan sets how many hours of help they get at home.
- We hire you, and you help them during those approved hours.
- We pay you by the hour and handle the paperwork with their case manager.
Because it’s hourly, you can work the approved hours around your own job.
Who can be the paid aide
- A family member by blood or marriage, such as an adult son or daughter, grandchild, sibling, niece or nephew
- A close friend or neighbor, if they complete our paid caregiver training
- 18 or older
- Able to pass a background check
- You can live somewhere else, or in the same home if you also work another job or can’t be there full time
Not eligible: your loved one’s spouse or legal guardian. This is the same rule as SFC.
Family Hire or SFC: a quick comparison
| Structured Family Care | Family Hire | |
|---|---|---|
| How it’s paid | A set amount every day | Hourly, for approved hours |
| Do you live together? | Yes, required | Either way |
| Can you keep another job? | No | Yes |
What you’d help with
Everyday things at home: bathing, dressing, getting around the house, meals and light housekeeping.
Where Freedom Adult Care offers Family Hire
Chattahoochee, Harris, Marion, Meriwether, Muscogee, Schley, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor and Troup counties. If you live outside these counties, call us anyway. Our Structured Family Care program covers more of Georgia.
Common questions
How much does Family Hire pay?
You’re paid by the hour. What you earn depends on how many hours Medicaid approves for your loved one. We’ll tell you your rate before you start.
How many hours will I get?
That comes from your loved one’s assessment and care plan, not from us.
My parent isn’t on Medicaid yet. Can you still help?
Call us. We’ll walk you through what’s needed.
Is Freedom Adult Care the same as FreedomCare?
No. Freedom Adult Care is locally owned in Columbus and has served Georgia families since 2003. FreedomCare is a separate national company.
Find out in one call
The first call is free and takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Call (706) 786-3041 and we’ll tell you whether Family Hire or Structured Family Care fits your family. Learn more about our Family Hire program.