Caregiver Rights and Protections Under Michigan’s Home Help Program

When you become a paid caregiver through Michigan’s Home Help Program, you’re not
volunteering. You’re an employee. And employees have rights. Most family caregivers
we work with at CareChoice don’t think of themselves in those terms — they think of
themselves as a daughter, a son, a spouse doing what family does. But the legal
protections that come with employment status are real, and knowing them protects you.

You Have Workers’ Compensation

As a registered Home Help provider, you are covered by workers’ compensation
insurance while providing authorized care. If you’re injured on the job — pulling your
back while transferring your father from bed, slipping in the bathroom while helping
your mother bathe — workers’ comp covers medical treatment and may provide partial
wage replacement during recovery.

In our experience, many family caregivers don’t realize this coverage exists until they
need it. Don’t wait for an injury to understand the process. Know that you’re covered,
and if an injury occurs, report it through the proper channels immediately.

You Have the Right to Accurate and Timely Payment

Michigan’s Home Help Program pays providers through an electronic timekeeping
system on a biweekly schedule. You have the right to be paid for all authorized and
properly documented hours. If a paycheck is late, short, or missing, contact your local
MDHHS office for resolution.

Common payment issues we see include timesheets that weren’t submitted correctly
(resulting in delayed payment), system glitches that delay processing, and
discrepancies between submitted hours and paid hours. Most of these resolve quickly
with a call to the local office — but persistence is sometimes required.

You Have Appeal Rights

If your loved one’s authorized hours are reduced or eliminated through a reassessment,
and you believe the decision doesn’t reflect their actual care needs, you have the right
to appeal through MDHHS’s administrative hearing process. This matters to you as a
caregiver because reduced hours mean reduced pay.

The appeal process involves requesting an administrative hearing, presenting evidence
(medical documentation, caregiver testimony), and having an independent hearing
officer review the case.

You Have the Right to Training and Support

While Michigan doesn’t require formal training for Home Help providers, resources are
available. MDHHS and community organizations offer caregiver training on topics like
safe lifting and transferring, fall prevention, medication management, and recognizing
signs of health changes. Taking advantage of these resources protects both you and the
person you’re caring for.

You Have the Right to Say No

Being a family caregiver doesn’t mean you’re obligated to continue indefinitely. If your
circumstances change — your own health declines, you need to return to other
employment, the care needs exceed what you can safely provide — you have the right to
step back. The care recipient can name a different provider, and MDHHS can assist with
the transition.

In our experience, this is the hardest right for family caregivers to exercise. The guilt of
stepping back from caring for a parent or spouse can be overwhelming. But a caregiver
who pushes past their limits isn’t providing safe care — and recognizing that boundary is
a sign of responsibility, not failure.

Protections We Advocate For

At CareChoice, we believe family caregivers deserve more recognition and more
protection than the system currently provides. We advocate for clearer information
about rights during the enrollment process, more accessible training resources, faster
resolution of payment issues, and better communication from MDHHS when policies
change.

Until the system improves, we fill the gaps by ensuring the families we work with
understand their rights from day one.

Learn about your options → Contact CareChoice in Detroit

Written by Shamere Dunswell, Community Relations Manager | CareChoice

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Caregivers → | Michigan Home Help Program →