Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Louisiana?
Yes — Louisiana lets a spouse be paid.
Louisiana is one of the states where the person who needs care can hire their own husband or wife and have the program pay for it. You do the caring you are already doing. The state pays you for it.
What has to be true
- Your spouse lives in Louisiana and needs long-term care help at home.
- Your spouse has Medicaid, or can qualify. We check that with you for free.
- You pass a background check. No license or certificate is needed.
- The care your spouse needs is written into their plan — that is what the hours are paid against.
What Louisiana pays family caregivers
$1,800/month
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Louisiana Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
What Louisiana's rule actually says
yes — MIHC allows a live-in spouse or adult child as the paid caregiver
The programs this runs through in Louisiana: Community Choices Waiver, Monitored In-Home Caregiving (MIHC), Children's Choice Waiver. Who runs them: Louisiana Dept. of Health — Office of Aging and Adult Services (OAAS); Louisiana Options in Long Term Care 877-456-1146
814,500 people in Louisiana are 65 or older. Most of them are cared for at home, by a relative — usually without being paid for it.
How to start in Louisiana
Call Louisiana Options in Long Term Care at 877-456-1146 to request CCW services and be placed on the registry; OAAS handles level-of-care screening.
MIHC runs through an enrolled MIHC provider agency (care manager + nurse support, agency pays the stipend); consumer-directed option uses a financial management services agency for payroll
See if you qualify →Spouse questions in Louisiana, answered
Can I get paid to care for my husband or wife in Louisiana?
Yes. Louisiana allows it. The published rule: yes — MIHC allows a live-in spouse or adult child as the paid caregiver
Why do some states allow this and others don't?
Medicaid has long treated care between spouses as a family duty rather than paid work. Self-directed programs changed that in many states by making the person who needs care the employer — they choose their own worker, and in some states that can be a spouse. It is a state-by-state policy choice, not a federal rule.
How much would I earn in Louisiana?
Reported pay in Louisiana runs around $1,800/month, though your exact rate is set by the program and the care plan.
Does my spouse need Medicaid first?
Yes. These are Medicaid programs, so your spouse has to qualify for Louisiana Medicaid and need long-term care help. Many families assume they earn too much and never apply. The rules for long-term care are not the same as regular Medicaid — check before you rule yourself out.
Is there a waitlist in Louisiana?
not an entitlement — waitlist via the CCW Request for Services Registry when slots are full
How do we start?
Call Louisiana Options in Long Term Care at 877-456-1146 to request CCW services and be placed on the registry; OAAS handles level-of-care screening.
Sources: medicaidplanningassistance.org · ldh.la.gov · law.cornell.edu · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Where most Louisiana caregivers are
Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in Louisiana — pick yours for the local picture.
Find out in 2 minutes
Answer 5 easy questions. See your programs and pay before you share any contact info.