CDPAP or Agency Home Care? Why Caring for a Loved One Can Be the Right Choice
When someone needs help at home, who provides that help matters. A loved one may already know the person’s routines, preferences, language, and the small signs that something is wrong. At Marton Care, we believe care from a loved one can be some of the best care a person receives.
For New Yorkers who have an eligible family member willing and able to provide dependable care, the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) is an option worth exploring. It is not the right fit for everyone. When family caregiving is unavailable or impractical, an agency aide can provide essential care and support.
What is CDPAP?
CDPAP is a New York Medicaid program that allows an eligible person receiving home care to choose and hire a personal assistant. That assistant may be an eligible family member or another trusted person. The consumer—or a designated representative when needed—directs the care and takes responsibility for matters such as hiring, scheduling, and supervising assistants.
Not every relative can serve as a paid assistant. Families should check the current caregiver eligibility rules for the specific person they hope to hire. Medicaid must also assess and authorize the care.
Why choose care from a loved one?
Personal care can involve bathing, dressing, eating, and other private parts of daily life. Many people feel more comfortable receiving that help from someone they already know and trust.
A family caregiver may understand a person’s habits and cultural preferences without needing them explained each day. They may notice changes in mobility, appetite, or mood early. For a family already providing substantial unpaid care, CDPAP can create a way for an eligible loved one to provide authorized care as a paid personal assistant.
That relationship is valuable, but it also requires a reliable plan. The caregiver must be able to do the work and cover the agreed schedule. The consumer or designated representative must be prepared to direct the care and arrange coverage when an assistant is unavailable.
When does agency home care make more sense?
Some people do not have an eligible loved one who can take on caregiving. A family member may live far away, have other responsibilities, or be unable to provide the level of help needed. Others simply prefer to keep family relationships separate from a paid caregiving role.
With traditional Medicaid personal care services, a contracted home care agency employs aides to provide authorized care. An agency aide can become a trusted and familiar presence, too. The best choice is the one that gives the person safe, respectful, dependable care.
Marton Care’s CDPAP history
Marton Care served New Yorkers as a CDPAP fiscal intermediary until April 1, 2025. We paused those operations when New York changed its statewide fiscal intermediary policy. CDPAP remains close to our mission, and we hope to offer this service again if state policy permits us to do so.
Under the current policy, Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) is the statewide fiscal intermediary for CDPAP. Marton Care is not currently serving as a CDPAP fiscal intermediary. For help with CDPAP registration or fiscal intermediary services, contact PPL at 1-833-247-5346. You can also visit "PPL’s New York CDPAP page".
Which option is right for your family?
Ask whether the person receiving care wants a family member in that role, whether that family member is eligible and reliably available, and whether the family can manage CDPAP’s responsibilities over time.
If the answer is yes, CDPAP may provide something especially meaningful: care from someone who already knows and loves the person. If the answer is no, agency home care remains an important path to quality support at home.
Medicaid eligibility, caregiver eligibility, and service hours depend on the individual assessment, care plan, and current New York program rules.
