Yes. If your loved one qualifies for Wisconsin Medicaid, the state can pay for personal care and supportive home care delivered right in their home — help with bathing, dressing, meals, medication reminders, mobility, and more. In many cases, a family member can even be hired and paid to provide that care. This guide explains which programs pay, who qualifies, and the exact first steps for Milwaukee-area families.
The short answer
Wisconsin Medicaid pays for home care through four main pathways: the Medicaid State Plan Personal Care benefit (through ForwardHealth), Family Care, Partnership, and IRIS. All four can cover in-home personal care services when a doctor confirms your loved one needs hands-on help with daily activities. The right pathway depends on your loved one's age, health needs, and finances — and your county's Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) helps you figure that out for free.
The four ways Wisconsin Medicaid covers home care
1. Medicaid State Plan Personal Care (ForwardHealth). This is the classic personal care benefit: a registered nurse assesses your loved one, a doctor orders the services, and an agency like Avida provides a trained Personal Care Worker (PCW) for approved hours. There is no waitlist for this benefit.
2. Family Care. A managed-care program for frail elders and adults with disabilities. A care team builds a plan that can include personal care, supportive home care, respite, and home modifications. Enrollment starts with a free ADRC screening.
3. Partnership (PACE). Similar to Family Care but also wraps in medical care, for people 55 and older who meet nursing-home level of care.
4. IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct). A self-directed option: instead of an agency deciding everything, your family gets a budget and hires your own caregivers — including, in many cases, family members. Our guide to Family Care vs. IRIS walks through the differences, and we explain the self-directed model in The IRIS Program Explained.
Who qualifies?
Two tests apply. First, a functional test: a screener looks at whether your loved one needs hands-on help with activities of daily living — bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, eating — or has memory or supervision needs from a condition like dementia. Second, a financial test: Wisconsin Medicaid has income and asset limits, which differ for single people, married couples, and children with disabilities. Many families assume they earn too much and are wrong — the free screening is the only way to know for sure.
Can a family member get paid to provide the care?
Yes — this surprises most families. Through Wisconsin's Medicaid Personal Care Services, an eligible adult child, relative, or friend can be hired by an agency like Avida, trained, and paid to care for their loved one at home. Families we work with often earn up to about $2,000 per month depending on approved hours. Spouses and legal guardians face extra rules, but adult children, siblings, grandchildren, and friends are commonly approved. Read more in How Family Members Can Get Paid to Caregive in Wisconsin.
What Medicaid home care does not cover
Medicaid home care covers personal care and supportive services — it is not 24-hour medical care, and it does not pay for rent, groceries, or home repairs. Medicare, by contrast, generally only covers short-term skilled home health after a hospital stay, not ongoing daily care. For a full breakdown of what families pay out of pocket when Medicaid isn't involved, see What Home Care Costs in Milwaukee.
How to start: the exact first steps
Step 1. Call your county ADRC — in Milwaukee County that's (414) 289-6874 — and ask for a free long-term care screening. Our Milwaukee County ADRC guide explains what to expect and what to bring.
Step 2. The ADRC confirms which programs fit: Family Care, Partnership, IRIS, or the state-plan personal care benefit.
Step 3. Once enrolled, call Avida at (414) 348-4600. We handle the caregiver hiring, training, scheduling, nurse oversight, and Medicaid paperwork — and if a family member wants to be the paid caregiver, we walk you through that too. You can also start online with our free eligibility check.
We serve families across Milwaukee County and southeastern Wisconsin, including West Allis, Wauwatosa, Greenfield, Oak Creek, South Milwaukee, and Franklin.
What if you don't qualify?
If Medicaid isn't a fit — or while an application is pending — private pay home care is available by the hour with no long-term contract, and care can often start within days. Many families begin privately and switch to Medicaid-funded care once enrollment completes. Learn the difference between service types in Personal Care vs. Supportive Home Care, or just call us at (414) 348-4600 — the consultation is free, and we'll tell you honestly which route fits your family.