How to Get Paid to Care for a Parent in Tennessee (2026): TennCare CHOICES
How to get paid to care for a parent in Tennessee: TennCare CHOICES consumer direction pays an adult child hourly. Who qualifies, the pay, and how to apply.
ElderHearth offers general information, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Program rules and pay change, so confirm the details with TennCare or your CHOICES care coordinator.
If you are caring for an aging parent in Tennessee, the state's Medicaid program can pay you for it. The main route to get paid to care for a parent in Tennessee is TennCare CHOICES, which offers a consumer-directed option that lets your parent hire and direct their own caregiver, and an adult child can fill that role. This guide covers how CHOICES works, who qualifies, what it pays, and how to apply.
How to get paid to care for a parent in Tennessee: TennCare CHOICES
TennCare CHOICES is Tennessee's Medicaid long-term services program for adults who need a nursing-facility level of care but want to stay home. Its Consumer Direction option lets your parent become the employer, hiring and directing their own caregiver, with a Fiscal Employer Agent (Consumer Direct Care Network Tennessee, CDTN) handling payroll and taxes. Your parent can also use an Agency with Choice model, where an agency employs a qualified relative.
Tennessee allows an adult child, sibling, or friend to be the paid caregiver. A spouse is generally excluded.
What Tennessee pays
Under CHOICES Consumer Direction, pay is an hourly wage, commonly in the range of $10 to $14 an hour through the Agency with Choice option, with the authorized hours set by your parent's assessed needs. Confirm the current rate when you enroll.
Who qualifies
Eligibility runs through your parent:
- Your parent must qualify for TennCare Medicaid and meet the clinical criteria for CHOICES Group 1 (a nursing-facility level of care) or the relevant at-risk group.
- You, the caregiver, can be an adult child, sibling, or friend. A spouse generally cannot be the paid caregiver.
- You enroll as the caregiver through CDTN or the provider agency, completing the background check and paperwork.
How to apply in Tennessee
The process runs through TennCare and a managed care organization:
- Apply for TennCare for your parent if they are not already enrolled.
- Request a CHOICES assessment through your parent's managed care organization, which determines the level of care and services.
- Ask for Consumer Direction so your parent can hire you as the caregiver, or Agency with Choice if you prefer an agency to employ you.
- Enroll as the caregiver with CDTN (the fiscal employer agent) or the agency, so your hours can be paid.
Other ways to get paid to care for a parent in Tennessee
CHOICES is the main path, but not the only one:
- VA programs, if your parent is a veteran, can pay a family caregiver (including a spouse) through Veteran-Directed Care or the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, which is one route when a spouse needs to be the caregiver.
- A personal care agreement, if your parent can pay from their own savings, sets the hours, duties, and pay in writing, which matters for family clarity, taxes, and any future Medicaid application.
For the full national picture of every program and how they compare, see our main guide to how to get paid to care for an elderly parent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get paid to care for my parent in Tennessee? Often, yes. The main way is TennCare CHOICES Consumer Direction, which lets your parent hire and direct a family caregiver such as an adult child, paid hourly through the fiscal employer agent. Your parent must qualify for TennCare at a nursing-facility level of care.
Can an adult child be paid to care for a parent in Tennessee? Yes. Under CHOICES Consumer Direction, an adult child, sibling, or friend can be the paid caregiver. A spouse is generally excluded.
How much does TennCare CHOICES pay family caregivers? Pay is an hourly wage, commonly around $10 to $14 an hour through the Agency with Choice option, with the authorized hours based on your parent's assessed needs. Confirm the current rate when you enroll.
Does Tennessee Medicaid pay family caregivers? Yes, through TennCare CHOICES Consumer Direction and Agency with Choice, which pay an adult child or other non-spouse relative or friend. The VA also pays family caregivers of eligible veterans.
Where to start
The fastest first step is to make sure your parent is enrolled in TennCare, then request a CHOICES assessment through their managed care organization and ask for Consumer Direction. If your parent is a veteran, or if a spouse needs to be the caregiver, look at the VA programs. Getting set up to get paid to care for a parent in Tennessee is a realistic way to keep aging in place affordable.
If you would like help figuring out where to begin, you are welcome to reach out.
Sources
- TennCare, CHOICES in Long-Term Services and Supports.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Caregiver Support Program.