·State program
South Dakota HOPE Waiver / Structured Family Caregiving
South Dakota's HOPE waiver (Home and Community-Based Options and Person Centered Excellence) provides self-directed services and Structured Family Caregiving through Careforth. The program supports nursing home-eligible individuals who choose to remain in community settings by allowing them to hire and manage their own attendants, including family members and spouses.
What it offers
Self-directed personal care services and Structured Family Caregiving through the HOPE waiver. Participants can hire and manage their own attendants, including family members and spouses. Hourly pay rates range from $13-$16/hr. SFC is administered through Careforth for live-in caregivers. Waitlists are typical for waiver slots.
Questions that decide eligibility
GiveCare prepares the questions; the program makes the decision. Bring these to the call or the application:
- 01
Does the person receiving care live in South Dakota?
Residency is usually the first thing a program checks.
- 02
Does your relationship to the person — spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, other relative, or non relative — count for this program?
- 03
What counts as a qualifying disability or level of care need, and what documentation shows it?
- 04
Does the VA disability rating meet the program’s minimum (our record lists null%)?
- 05
Do the work hours meet the minimum (our record lists null hours)?
- 06
Is there a caregiver-specific department, coordinator, or support line? Ask for it by name.
Many agencies have one that isn’t advertised on the website.
- 07
What documents do you need from us to start an application?
- 08
Is there a waitlist right now, and how long is it?