How CDPAP Works: Getting Paid to Care for a Family Member in NYC
The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program lets you choose your own caregiver — including a family member or friend. Here’s how it works, who qualifies, and how to get started in New York City.
- CDPAP is a Medicaid program that lets eligible New Yorkers hire someone they know and trust as their caregiver.
- Family members — including adult children and siblings — can earn wages through CDPAP.
- The care recipient directs all aspects of their own care, putting them completely in control.
Most people assume that home care means a stranger showing up at the door. However, CDPAP changes that completely. Under New York’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, someone who already knows and trusts you — a family member, a close friend, a neighbor — can become your paid caregiver through Medicaid. As a result, for thousands of NYC families, it’s made home care feel like home care is supposed to feel.
What Makes CDPAP Different from Regular Home Care
With a traditional home care program, the agency selects and assigns a caregiver. Conversely, with CDPAP, the person receiving care — called the “consumer” — chooses, trains, and directs their own caregiver. Specifically, the consumer decides the schedule, the tasks, and how they want care delivered. Meanwhile, the agency handles payroll and compliance, while the family handles the relationship.
Furthermore, this model works especially well for people who have complex communication needs, cultural preferences, or a strong preference for someone specific. Additionally, because the caregiver already knows the person, there’s usually no adjustment period.
Who Can Be a CDPAP Caregiver?
For example, a son or daughter can earn wages to care for a parent — one of the most common CDPAP arrangements in NYC.
Similarly, brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, and nephews all qualify to serve as CDPAP caregivers.
Moreover, the caregiver doesn’t have to be a family member. Instead, a trusted friend or neighbor qualifies too.
However, CDPAP rules prohibit legally married spouses and designated consumer representatives from earning wages as caregivers.
Who Qualifies to Receive CDPAP?
To use CDPAP, the person receiving care must have active Medicaid enrollment. Additionally, they must need help with daily activities — things like bathing, dressing, eating, mobility, or medication management. First, a physician must certify their need for home care. Then, they must be capable of directing their own care (or have a legal guardian or designated representative do so).
Importantly, there is no age limit. CDPAP is available to children and adults alike. Therefore, this makes it a particularly good fit for families navigating OPWDD services alongside Medicaid home care.
How the Enrollment Process Works
First, the care recipient must have active Medicaid coverage. If they don’t, we help families navigate the application process.
Next, a doctor completes an order authorizing home care services. The assessed level of need determines the number of approved hours.
After that, the consumer selects the person they want to hire. That person completes a brief onboarding process through the agency.
Finally, once enrolled, the agency adds the caregiver to the payroll and issues their paychecks. The consumer directs the care; meanwhile, we handle the administration.
Why Families in NYC Choose CDPAP
Beyond the practical benefits, CDPAP changes the emotional dynamic of care. Specifically, when a family member is the caregiver, there’s more consistency, more trust, and more dignity in the daily routine. Ultimately, for many seniors and individuals with disabilities, having someone they love providing care isn’t just a preference. Rather, it’s the difference between thriving and merely getting by.
Consequently, Advantage Home Care has helped hundreds of NYC families set up CDPAP arrangements across all five boroughs. Our team guides you from the first eligibility check all the way through onboarding. As a result, you can focus on what matters, not the paperwork.