Home care for heart failure (CHF) patients in Michigan

Home care for heart failure patients in Michigan means a trained caregiver helping with the daily tasks that congestive heart failure (CHF) makes exhausting: bathing, dressing, meals, housework and getting around safely. If the person has Medicaid, programs like Home Help and the MI Choice Waiver can pay for this personal care, and an adult child or other relative may be able to get paid to provide it.

On this page

1. What does home care for heart failure look like day to day?
2. What help is available after a hospital stay for heart failure?
3. Which Michigan programs pay for in-home care for CHF?
4. Can a family member be paid as a caregiver for a heart failure patient?
5. How does Supportive Solutions help families living with heart failure?
6. When does someone with heart failure need more than home care?
7. Frequently asked questions

What does home care for heart failure look like day to day?

Heart failure drains energy. A shower or a walk to the kitchen can leave someone short of breath. Good home care for heart failure paces the day so the person keeps doing what they can, with a steady hand for the rest.

Help with bathing, dressing and moving around

A caregiver can help with bathing, dressing, toileting, and getting in and out of bed or a chair, leaving time to rest between tasks. Steady help with walking and transfers also lowers fall risk.

Meals that follow the diet the doctor set

Many people with heart failure are asked to follow an eating plan, such as limiting salt or fluids. A caregiver does not decide that plan. They follow the doctor’s or dietitian’s instructions when shopping and cooking, and tell the family if the person is struggling to eat. The American Heart Association has plain-language material families can read alongside the care team’s advice.

Medication reminders, not medication administration

A caregiver can remind the person when it is time to take their medicines and help keep a checklist. They do not set up doses, change anything or give medicines. Medicine questions go to the doctor or pharmacist.

Noticing changes and reporting them

A caregiver who sees the person often can notice when something seems different. If the doctor has asked the family to keep a daily weight log or note swelling in the ankles, the caregiver can help record it and share it as the care team asked. Caregivers do not assess symptoms or provide medical care. If breathing gets worse, the person has chest pain or faints, or anything matches what the doctor called an emergency, call 911. For other changes, call the doctor’s office.

Housework and errands

Laundry, cleaning and grocery runs take energy someone with CHF may not have, so a caregiver can take these on. See personal care assistance and companionship care.

What help is available after a hospital stay for heart failure?

The weeks after a hospital stay are often the hardest. Two kinds of help can work side by side:

• Medicare home health: if a doctor orders it and the person is homebound, Medicare can cover part-time skilled nursing and therapy at home for a period.
• Personal care: help with bathing, meals and chores during that stretch and after home health ends, paid through Home Help or MI Choice for people with Medicaid.

Our guide to home care vs. home health care in Michigan explains the difference. See also our post-hospital and post-surgery care page covers the first weeks home.

Which Michigan programs pay for in-home care for CHF?

Eligibility is based on how much help a person needs with daily living, not on the heart failure diagnosis.

Michigan Home Help (MDHHS)

The Home Help program pays for personal care for people who have full Medicaid, need hands-on help (or documented cueing or supervision) with at least one daily activity such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring or mobility, live in a private home, and have a medical needs form (DHS-54A) signed by a doctor, PA or NP. An MDHHS worker visits to assess needs. Read who qualifies for Home Help and what happens at the assessment visit.

MI Choice Waiver

The MI Choice Waiver is for adults 65 and older, or 18 and older with a physical disability, who meet nursing facility level of care and Medicaid financial rules. You apply through your local Area Agency on Aging or waiver agent, and there may be a waitlist. See our MI Choice guide.

Other options

If the person also has an intellectual or developmental disability or serious mental illness, county Community Mental Health (CMH) or the Habilitation Supports Waiver may help. Not on Medicaid yet? See our guide to applying through MI Bridges.

Type of help	Who usually pays	What it covers
Medicare home health	Medicare (doctor’s order, homebound)	Part-time skilled nursing and therapy for a period
Home Help	Michigan Medicaid	Ongoing personal care and household help
MI Choice Waiver	Michigan Medicaid waiver	Personal care plus other in-home services for people at nursing facility level of care
Hospice	Medicare or Medicaid hospice benefit	Comfort-focused care when a doctor certifies the illness is terminal

Can a family member be paid as a caregiver for a heart failure patient?

Often, yes. Through Home Help, an adult child, a parent of an adult child, a sibling, a grandchild, a friend or a neighbor can be the paid provider. A spouse cannot be paid through Home Help, and neither can a parent of a minor child under 18. Our article can a spouse be paid as a caregiver in Michigan explains the rule and other options.

Paid family caregivers enroll in CHAMPS and record visits with electronic visit verification (EVV). See get paid to care.

How does Supportive Solutions help families living with heart failure?

If a relative already does the caregiving, we help them get paid for it. If the family needs someone, we find and place a background-verified, MDHHS/CHAMPS-enrolled caregiver whose training and certifications match the person’s needs.

We handle the steps: checking eligibility, helping you apply for Medicaid, preparing for the Home Help or MI Choice assessment, CHAMPS enrollment, EVV setup, paying the caregiver, and ongoing support through reassessments and appeals. We are an enrolled MI Choice Waiver provider, and we serve families across Michigan.

We answer new inquiries within 24 hours, and our dedicated team of associates is available every day from 8 AM to 8 PM in English, Arabic and Spanish. The first paycheck typically arrives about 30 days after approval. See how it works.

When does someone with heart failure need more than home care?

Talk with the doctor if:

• The person needs skilled care such as nursing visits or therapy, which comes from a Medicare-certified home health agency.
• Comfort has become the main goal. Hospice can provide nursing, aide visits and family support at home.
• Needs have grown beyond what is safe at home, even with help. A nursing facility may be safer.

Respite for the family caregiver

Caring for someone with CHF is steady, watchful work, and short breaks help. Learn about respite care and who pays for respite in Michigan.

Frequently asked questions

Does Medicaid pay for home care for heart failure in Michigan?

It can. Michigan Home Help pays for personal care for people with full Medicaid who need hands-on help with at least one daily activity, such as bathing or dressing, and live in a private home. MI Choice can help people who meet nursing facility level of care. Eligibility depends on daily needs, not the diagnosis.

Will Medicare pay for a caregiver for a CHF patient?

Medicare does not pay for ongoing personal care at home. If a doctor orders it and the person is homebound, Medicare home health can cover part-time skilled nursing and therapy for a period. For longer-term help with bathing, meals and chores, Medicaid programs like Home Help are the usual route.

Can a home caregiver give heart failure medications?

Our caregivers provide non-medical personal care. They can remind the person when it is time to take medicines and help keep a checklist, but they do not prepare doses, change medicines or give medical treatment. Medication questions should go to the doctor or pharmacist.

What should a caregiver do if heart failure symptoms get worse?

A caregiver does not assess or treat symptoms. They tell the family and follow the instructions the care team gave. If breathing suddenly gets worse, there is chest pain or fainting, or anything the doctor described as an emergency, call 911 right away. For other changes, call the doctor’s office.

Can I get paid to take care of my parent with CHF?

Often, yes. If your parent has full Medicaid and qualifies for Home Help, an adult child can be the paid provider after CHAMPS enrollment. A spouse cannot be paid through Home Help. We can check eligibility, help with the application and assessment, and handle EVV and payroll.

Is home care useful right after a heart failure hospital stay?

Yes. Medicare home health may cover skilled nursing visits during that time, while a personal care caregiver helps with bathing, meals and chores. When home health ends, Home Help or MI Choice can continue the personal care for people who qualify.