How to Apply to Be a Carer for a Family Member?

Any person looking after a family member or friend can be called Carer, and many countries around the world have different rules and regulations for Carers.

We have a related article for you, you can read 10 Best Adaptive Equipment For Getting In And Getting Out Of The Bed.

If you also want to be Carer for your Family Member and are looking for guidance, this guide is for you. In this guide, you will learn what do Carers do? How can you apply to be a Carer for your Family Member?

Let’s get started.

What is Carer?

A carer is any person, Adult or child, who regularly looks after a family member or friend with some illness. Now, the role of Carer is not defined in some countries, but some countries such as the UK and other have defined Rules and Regulations which allow the Carers to get Benefits and Allowance.

What do Carers do?

The role of Carer is not defined, and it often involves a lot of tasks to help the person you care for. It includes a lot of tasks such as Shopping, Grocery Shopping, House Cleaning, Managing communication (including taking phone calls, reading messages, emails, etc.), cooking meals, organizing finances, taking care of the children and pets, emotional support, Help in Changing Clothes, catering their visiting family members and more.

As you can see, the role of Carer is very challenging, and many countries acknowledge it. That’s why they allow the Carers to register themselves, and if they are eligible, they can get some benefits from the Government.

Now, the rules and regulations vary from Country to Country. So, I’ll be mainly focusing on the UK, US, and Canada. Even if you are not from these countries, you can still get some idea about the whole process and use it to register as a Carer in your country. Let’s get started.

How to apply to be a Carer for a Family Member in the United Kingdom (UK)?

The United Kingdom is one of the very few countries that have defined rules and regulations for Carers. It also offers compensations and support to Carers. The process of registering as a Carer for a family member or your friend is very same, and it all starts with the Assessment from your Local Council.

The first step is to contact the Adult Social Services at your Local Council. You can either call them directly or contact them online to share your details. You can easily contact your local Social Services team using the NHS Official Website.

Once you have contacted the local Social Services Team, you will provide them with your details and ask them for Assessment. Now the process of Assessment varies from Council to Council, but most probably, you will be visited by a member of the Social Services Team for Assessment.

During the Assessment, the representative will ask you the relevant questions, and the Assessment can last for at least an hour. Usually, you can give the assessment interview yourself, but if you think that you need help, you can ask your advocate to be present during the Assessment, and he/she can answer on your behalf.

After the assessment interview, you will have to wait for the results, and it can take up to a week or two. If you have passed the Assessment, your Council will contact you, and they will draft a care and support plan which will lay out the whole plan on how things will be done.

However, if you don’t pass the Assessment, you can still ask for help from your Council, and they will guide you about how you can get help in your community.

Also, if you need financial assistance from the Government, you can ask for a financial Assessment. In this Assessment, you will be visited by a Financial Assessment officer from the Council who will ask you about your earnings and other financial details. If you pass the Assessment, you can get Financial Assessment from the Council.

In this way, you can become a registered Carer in the UK, and you can follow the same procedure for your Friends and Family Member, including your Mom, Father, Brothers, and Sisters. Also, if you need any further help, you can call the Carer Direct’s Free Helpline on 0300 123 1053.

How to apply to be a Carer for a Family Member in the United States (US)?

The US is one of the few countries which has a very organized but complex structure for Carers. The country offers a number of programs for Carers on the State and Federal level, which can make it a bit overwhelming for a new person. Even I had to spend hours understanding the whole process. However, I’ll explain everything clearly so that you could easily follow it.

In the US, Almost all states give the option to care recipients to pick their family members as a paid caregivers. Now, the name of these Medicaid programs varies from State of the State, but the purpose of all programs is the same, which is to provide assistance to caregivers.

Some states in the US, such as Columbia, allow the care recipients to choose any person of their choice as caregivers, which can be their friend or family member. Similarly, some states have Community First Choice (CFC) option, which also allows care recipients to hire their friends and family members for personal care services. In short, there are a lot of programs and options available which you can choose to become a paid caregiver in the US.

Now, let’s get to the application process, which starts with enrolling yourself in your State’s Medical program, but before that, it’s important that you check whether you are eligible for it or not.

You can use this link to check your eligibility. If you are not eligible, you still have the chance to get assistance by using the services of your Elder Law Attorneys, Eldercare Financial Planners, and other services.

If you are eligible for Medicaid, the next step is to start the application process, and you can start it by contacting your State’s Medicaid Office. You can find the details of your State’s Medicaid office by using this link.

Once you are in contact with the office, the Medicaid officer will recheck your eligibility and take all the details. If you pass the Assessment, you will be enrolled in Medicaid, and your next step will be to choose the Specific State Medicaid program through which you would like to get compensation.

In this regard, you will be taking help from your primary Medicaid contact, who will guide you and recommend the most appropriate program for you. Once you are enrolled in your selected Medicaid Program, you will start receiving compensation from your State. In this way, you can become a Carer for a Family Member or a friend in the US.

How to apply to be a Carer for a Family Member in Canada?

Canada is another major country that offers a comprehensive program by the Government for Caregivers. The Canadian Government offers up to $500 per week, and in some cases, you can even receive more compensation from the Government.

The Application process starts with checking your eligibility, and you are eligible for compensation only if you meet the following conditions.

·        The first condition is that you must be a family member of the person who has chronic diseases, inured, or needs end-of-life care.

·        Secondly, if your weekly earnings have been reduced by more than 40% due to providing care to the person.

·        You have 600 insured hours of works within 52 Weeks.

·        Lastly, a medical doctor certifies that the care recipient has chronic diseases, injured, or needs end-of-life care.

If you meet all of the above conditions, then you are eligible for compensation from the Government. You can start the application by filling up the online form, and you will have to provide all the necessary information such as your name, Social Insurance Number (SIN), banking details, and more.

Once you have submitted the application, the system will process your application. If you are eligible, you will be notified, and you will start getting weekly payments after 28 days of submitting the application. Now, the duration of the compensation period varies from case to case. If you have got the compensation for children, you will get the compensation for a maximum of 35 weeks, and in the case of Adults, the compensation period will be a maximum of 26 Weeks.

The compensation period also automatically ends if the care recipient gets well and no longer needs care. You will also have to inform Service Canada that you no longer need compensation, and if you fail to do so, you will have to repay the extra compensation back to the Government.

If you are not eligible for compensation, you will also be notified, but you can still give the care to the care recipient as an unpaid carer.

Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]

Can you be a Carer for a Family Member?

Yes, you can be a Carer for a Family Member, and if you want, you can also register yourself as Carer with your government/state/local council to get compensation for your service. However, if you don’t wish to get compensation, you don’t have to register yourself in most countries, and you can keep giving your services as an unpaid carer.

How to Become a Care for my Mother?

The process of becoming a registered Carer varies from Country to Country, but you can check this guide where I have explained the detailed registration process for UK, US, and Canada.

How to Become a Carer for my Child?

The process of Becoming a Carer for a Child is not very different. The first thing you will need to do is to check your eligibility, and if you are eligible, you can file the application and start getting compensation from the government/state/local council.

How can I start working as Professional Carer?

The first thing you will need to get is the certification for Carer. There are many Institutes in the US and other countries which offer Professional Carer Certifications. Once you get the certification, you can register as Professional Carer in your local Council or State or Government Agency. In this way, you can start your career as Professional Carer.

Can I get Carers Allowance if I work?

Yes, you can definitely get Carers Allowance even if you work, but you must demonstrate that your work is being affected by providing care to the care recipient. Many Countries also have some additional requirements which you need to meet to get Carers Allowance.

Can I re-apply for Carer if my application is rejected?

If you are not eligible for compensation, then there are great chances that you will be rejected even If you re-apply. However, if you think that your application is rejected by mistake, you can re-apply. In the US, you can also take the services of Elder Law Attorneys, which plead the case on your behalf, and there are higher chances that you might start getting compensation.

Is Carers Allowance Increasing in 2021?

The Carers Compensation structure in each country is different, and the governments do make changes to it depending on various conditions. For example, in the backdrop of COVID-19, some countries such as Canada have relaxed the terms of eligibility for the Carer compensation program.

Can a Non-Family Member become a Carer?

Yes, some countries allow the friends to become a Carer and get compensation. In the US, only State Medicaid programs allow you to choose your friends as Carers. Similarly, in Canada, you can choose your friends as carers only if you think of them as your family, and you will also need to fill the Attestation Form to proceed with the application.

Conclusion

That’s all, folks. In this guide, I shared the detailed application process which you can use to become a Carer for your Family Member in the UK, US, and Canada.

I have also answered the common questions which will help you with the process. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments. Also, don’t forget to share this guide with your friends and Family Members.