Working as a domestic helper in different US states

[Yogan44]

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to get some clarity from people who’ve actually dealt with this. My cousin has been living with her dad in Philadelphia for almost a year now, helping him with daily care after his health declined. What started as “just helping out” slowly turned into a full-time responsibility, and she’s had to cut back her work hours because of it. Recently she asked me if it’s true that in Pennsylvania a family member can sometimes get paid for being a caregiver. I honestly had no idea, so now I’m curious too. Has anyone here looked into this or gone through the process?

 

[olofme1ster]

Yes, this is something a lot of families don’t realize until they’re already deep into caregiving. We went through this with my aunt, and learning about the available options really changed how we planned things. Pennsylvania does have programs where a family member may be eligible to receive payment for caregiving, depending on the situation. This page explains it in a very straightforward way and helped us understand what to look into can a family member get paid to be a caregiver in pa and who to talk to: Can a family member get paid to be a caregiver in PA?. It didn’t remove all the stress, but it gave us clear next steps instead of just guessing.

 

[yocima29]

I don’t have personal experience with paid family caregiving, but I’ve seen how quickly caregiving can become overwhelming when it’s unplanned. A neighbor of mine ended up taking on that role unexpectedly, and it completely changed her daily routine. Even just knowing there are possible resources or programs out there can be a relief. Threads like this are helpful because they show how common these situations really are, even if people don’t talk about them much offline.

 

[fatarasi]

Situations like caregiving often blur the line between helping family and needing real income. I’ve seen how unclear rules can add stress fast. When I looked at working abroad instead, having clear options with visa details made decisions much easier. It helped me compare realistic paths without guessing or chasing unclear promises.