Home Help Program Detroit: Medicaid Home Care in Wayne County

Medicaid home care in Detroit runs through Michigan’s Home Help program. If your loved one lives in Wayne County, has Medicaid, and needs hands-on help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing or meals, MDHHS can approve care hours and pay a family member, friend or agency caregiver to provide them at home.

On this page

1. How does Medicaid home care work in Detroit?
2. Who qualifies for Home Help in Detroit?
3. Where is the Wayne County MDHHS office for Home Help?
4. How much does Home Help pay a caregiver in Detroit?
5. How to apply for the Home Help program in Detroit
6. Detroit neighborhoods and Wayne County suburbs we serve
7. Detroit resources for family caregivers
8. Frequently asked questions

How does Medicaid home care work in Detroit?

Home Help is a statewide Medicaid benefit administered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). In Detroit, the application, assessment and payment all go through the Wayne County MDHHS system, not through the city.

The program pays for personal care, not medical care. A caregiver you choose, including an adult child, sibling, niece or neighbor, enrolls as an individual provider and is paid by the state for the hours MDHHS authorizes. We handle the CHAMPS and EVV paperwork for Detroit families.

For statewide rules, read our Michigan Home Help program guide. This post covers what is different in Detroit and Wayne County.

Who qualifies for Home Help in Detroit?

MDHHS looks at three things: Medicaid status, functional need, and living situation. The care recipient must:

• Be enrolled in Michigan Medicaid (any age, including adults under 65 with a disability)
• Need hands-on help with at least one activity of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, eating or mobility
• Live in their own home or apartment in Detroit or elsewhere in Wayne County, not in a nursing home, hospital or adult foster care home
• Have a caregiver willing to enroll as a Home Help provider

Not sure about Medicaid? Our free Medicaid eligibility check gives you a quick read before you call the county.

Where is the Wayne County MDHHS office for Home Help?

Wayne County is Michigan’s largest county and MDHHS splits it into multiple district offices. Your loved one is assigned to one by home address, so there is no single “Detroit Home Help office.”

The fastest way to find the right one is the county office locator at michigan.gov/mdhhs, or the Medicaid Beneficiary Help Line at 1-800-642-3195. When you reach the office, ask for an Adult Services worker and say you want to “request a Home Help assessment.”

If your parent needs a higher level of care than Home Help covers, the MI Choice Waiver is handled separately by the region’s waiver agent. For the city of Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Harper Woods and the Grosse Pointes, that is the Detroit Area Agency on Aging. Read more on our MI Choice Waiver page.

How much does Home Help pay a caregiver in Detroit?

The Home Help rate is set by MDHHS and is the same in Detroit as in the rest of Michigan. Through Supportive Solutions, caregivers earn a minimum of $18 per hour.

What changes family to family is the number of hours. An MDHHS Adult Services worker scores how much help is needed with each daily task and authorizes a monthly hour total from that score. Providers are paid by the state on a fixed schedule, typically twice a month, after visits are logged with EVV.

See how much family caregivers get paid in Michigan for monthly examples.

How to apply for the Home Help program in Detroit

1. Confirm Medicaid. If your loved one is not enrolled, apply through MI Bridges first. Home Help cannot start until Medicaid is active.
2. Request an assessment. Call the Wayne County MDHHS district office for your loved one’s address, or let us submit the request for you.
3. Complete the home visit. An Adult Services worker comes to the Detroit home, reviews daily needs, and may ask for a medical needs form signed by a doctor.
4. Enroll the caregiver. The chosen caregiver creates a MiLogin account, enrolls in CHAMPS as an individual provider, and passes a background screening. Our CHAMPS enrollment guide shows each screen.
5. Start care and log visits. Once hours are authorized, the caregiver clocks in and out with EVV and payments begin.

Ready to start? Visit become a paid caregiver and we will open your file the same day.

Detroit neighborhoods and Wayne County suburbs we serve

Supportive Solutions Homecare is based in the 313 and serves every Detroit neighborhood, from Southwest Detroit to the East Side, Palmer Park and Brightmoor. We also serve Hamtramck, Highland Park, Harper Woods, the Grosse Pointes, Redford, Livonia, Taylor, Lincoln Park, Wyandotte and the rest of Wayne County.

Our service area also covers Dearborn, Warren, Sterling Heights, Ann Arbor, Flint, Lansing and Grand Rapids. See our home care in Detroit, MI page for services, languages and how to reach us.

Detroit resources for family caregivers

• Wayne County MDHHS district offices for Medicaid, Home Help assessments and case questions.
• MI Bridges for online Medicaid applications and document uploads.
• Detroit Area Agency on Aging for MI Choice screening and caregiver support.
• Supportive Solutions Homecare for enrollment help in English, Arabic and Spanish.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a home care agency charge in Detroit?

Private-pay agency rates in Detroit vary by agency and level of care, so ask for a written hourly rate before you sign anything. If your loved one has Medicaid, Home Help pays for personal care at a set MDHHS rate. We help Detroit families check that first.

What is the MDHHS Home Help phone number for Wayne County?

Wayne County is split into several MDHHS district offices, and your loved one is assigned to one based on their address. Use the office locator at michigan.gov/mdhhs or call the Medicaid Beneficiary Help Line at 1-800-642-3195 to confirm the right office. You can also call us and we will route the request.

Can a family member get paid to be a caregiver in Detroit?

Yes. Michigan’s Home Help program pays adult children, siblings, other relatives, friends and neighbors who provide personal care to a Medicaid recipient in Wayne County. Spouses and parents of minor children cannot be paid under Home Help. The caregiver enrolls with MDHHS as an individual provider through CHAMPS.

How long does Home Help approval take in Wayne County?

Timing depends on your MDHHS office’s caseload and how quickly documents come in. Medicaid must be active before the home assessment can be scheduled, so families who already have Medicaid usually move faster. Returning forms the same day and being available for the assessment visit are the two things that shorten the wait most.

Can I care for my mother in Detroit if I live in a suburb like Warren or Dearborn?

Yes. Home Help does not require the caregiver to live with or near the client. What matters is that you can reliably provide the authorized hours in your mother’s home and check in and out with Michigan’s electronic visit verification (EVV) system at each visit.