Utah · waiver service
Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Individuals Age 65 or Older (Aging Waiver) in Utah
Utah's Aging Waiver helps people 65 and older who need nursing-home-level care stay at home. It is run by the Division of Aging and Adult Services through local Area Agencies on Aging. Under the Self-Administered Services (SAS) model, the participant hires and manages their own personal attendant, such as an adult child, and a financial management services agency runs payroll.
Also called: Aging Waiver · Utah Aging Waiver · Waiver for Individuals Age 65 or Older · SAS model · self-administered services
Who do you care for?
Quick facts
- Pay
- Not published
- Adult children & other relatives
- Yes
- Spouse
- Sometimes
- Parent of a minor child
- the waiver serves adults 65 and older.
- Waitlist
- possible
Who qualifies for Aging Waiver
- Age 65 or older.
- Needs nursing-facility level of care.
- Meets Utah Medicaid financial rules.
- Lives at home, not in an assisted living residence or adult foster care home.
- Has a personal attendant who is trained, or willing to be trained, and available to give authorized services.
Who can be paid as the caregiver
- Adult children & other relatives Yes
- under the SAS model participants can hire friends and relatives such as an adult child (secondary sources; the provider manual confirms participant-employed attendants).
- Spouse Sometimes
- secondary sources say spouses may be hired 'in some cases'; the state's rule is not published on the pages reviewed.
- Parent of a minor child
- the waiver serves adults 65 and older.
- Living together
- not published as a requirement.
Who employs the caregiver: Either. Personal attendant services can come from an agency or be participant-employed under the SAS model with a required financial management services provider.
Spouse rules differ by program — see spouse pay in Utah.
How much Aging Waiver pays
Not published. The hourly wage is negotiated between the participant and the employee. The Utah Medicaid provider manual says employer taxes and workers' comp are paid on top of the negotiated wage, using $10 per hour only as an example.
Hours and budget: A comprehensive needs assessment by the Area Agency on Aging sets the services and hours in the person-centered care plan; participants get only services they are assessed as needing.
Compare with other Utah programs on the Utah caregiver pay page, or across states in pay rates by state.
Is there a waitlist?
The waiver serves a limited number of people. If no capacity exists, the applicant is told in writing they can use a nursing facility or wait for an opening.
How to apply for Aging Waiver
- Contact your local Area Agency on Aging and ask for an Aging Waiver assessment.
- Apply for Utah Medicaid if not already enrolled.
- If capacity exists, a case manager completes the assessment and you choose waiver services over a nursing facility.
- Choose the SAS model and enroll with a financial management services provider to hire your relative.
- Utah Medicaid (long-term care line) · 800-662-9651, option 6 · official site
- Utah Division of Aging and Adult Services · not published · official site
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Aging Waiver questions
Can I get paid to care for my parent on Utah's Aging Waiver?
Usually yes. Under the Self-Administered Services model, your parent can hire you as their personal attendant and a financial management agency pays you.
Can a spouse be paid on the Aging Waiver?
Possibly in some cases, according to program guides, but Utah does not publish a clear rule. Ask your Area Agency on Aging case manager.
How is the hourly wage set?
You and your parent agree on a wage. Employer taxes and workers' comp are paid on top of that wage.
Is there a waiting list?
There can be. If the waiver is full, you're told in writing that you can wait for an opening or use a nursing facility.
Can someone in assisted living use the Aging Waiver?
No. Participants cannot live in an assisted living residence or adult foster care home.
Sources: medicaid.utah.gov · medicaid.utah.gov · payingforseniorcare.com · medicaidplanningassistance.org · Updated 2026-10-08. Program rules change — always confirm with the program.
Where most Utah caregivers are
Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in Utah — pick yours for the local picture.
Across the line
States that border Utah
Each state writes its own rules, and they differ more than people expect — a spouse who can be paid on one side of the line often cannot be on the other.