Short answer: If you live with your loved one and can care for them full time, Structured Family Care (SFC) is usually the better fit. If you need to keep your job, or you don’t live together, our Family Hire program usually is. Freedom Adult Care offers both, so one call can sort it out.
Three questions that decide it
1. Do you live with your loved one?
SFC requires the caregiver and the person getting care to live at the same address. Family Hire does not.
2. Can you be their caregiver full time?
SFC caregivers can’t have another job or go to school full time. With Family Hire, you work the hours approved in your loved one’s care plan and can keep another job.
3. Who will be the caregiver?
SFC is for family members by blood or marriage. With Family Hire, a close friend or neighbor can also be the paid aide after completing our caregiver training.
If you answered yes, yes and a family member, look at SFC first. If any answer was no, Family Hire is probably where to start.
Side by side
| Structured Family Care | Family Hire | |
|---|---|---|
| Live together? | Required | Either way |
| Keep another job? | No | Yes |
| Who can be the caregiver | Family member | Family member, close friend or neighbor |
| How you’re paid | A set amount every day | By the hour, for approved hours |
| Taxes | Generally tax-free (IRS Notice 2014-7) | Usually taxable wages, unless you live in the home |
| Where we offer it | 20 Georgia counties | 10 counties around Columbus |
What both programs have in common
- Your loved one must qualify for Georgia Medicaid.
- The caregiver must be 18 or older and pass a background check.
- A spouse or legal guardian can’t be the paid caregiver in either program. Here’s what spouses can do instead.
- Freedom Adult Care is a Medicaid-credentialed provider. We’re reimbursed through the program and we pay you directly.
A few real-life examples
- You moved Mom in with you and left your job to care for her. SFC is likely the fit.
- You work days and check on Dad every evening across town. Family Hire is likely the fit.
- Your aunt lives with you, but you still work part time. Family Hire, since SFC doesn’t allow outside work.
- A neighbor already helps your father every day. Family Hire may let us hire the neighbor.
Common questions
Which program pays more?
Neither one is the better deal on its own. SFC pays a set amount every day. Family Hire pays by the hour, and the number of hours comes from your loved one’s assessment, not from us. We’ll put your figure in writing before you sign anything.
Is Family Hire the same as Personal Support Services (PSS)?
Yes. Family Hire is our name for how we offer PSS: we hire someone your loved one already knows as their aide.
What if my loved one isn’t on Medicaid yet?
Call us anyway. We’ll walk you through what’s needed.
Do I need to know which program I want before I call?
No. Tell us how care works in your family today and we’ll tell you which one fits.
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 which program fits your family. Learn more about Structured Family Care and our Family Hire program, or read Can I get paid to care for my parent if I work full time?