Why this matters before your program is activated
The period between applying for a Medicaid waiver program and getting approved can take weeks to months. Every day in that gap, you are providing real care — bathing, medication, meals, transportation, overnight supervision. If you don't document it independently, that labor is invisible forever.
KindredCare's Waiting Period Mode creates a timestamped, caregiver-owned record that lives outside any agency's control. But the principles in this guide work whether you use KindredCare or a pen and a spiral notebook. The point is: start documenting on day one.
What this documentation does for you
Documenting care during the waiting period serves four critical purposes:
- Establishes your care start date. If a dispute arises about when compensable care began, your timestamped log is the evidence. Agencies have been known to claim a later start date than what actually happened.
- Supports your level-of-care assessment. When a nurse comes to assess care needs, your detailed log of actual daily tasks performed is powerful supporting evidence for a higher care level — which means higher compensation rates.
- Documents care continuity. If a paid aide fails to show up after activation, your pre-activation log proves the full care burden that was already falling on you.
- Builds the habit before you need it. Caregivers who document during the waiting period already have the system in place when disputes arise. They don't start from scratch.
The 5-step waiting period documentation process
Activate Waiting Period Mode — Day 1
The same day you submit your waiver application, open KindredCare and enter: your application date, the program name (ICWP, CCSP, SOURCE, etc.), and your case manager's name and contact information. This anchors all documentation to a verified start date.
Log care daily — under 2 minutes per entry
Use KindredCare's simplified waiting period log. One tap to start, one tap to stop, a care task checklist, and an optional notes field. The goal is consistency — one entry every day — not perfection. Set a daily reminder so it becomes routine.
Document the RN assessment visit
Before your level-of-care assessment, use KindredCare to generate a pre-assessment summary: total hours logged, recurring tasks, any incidents or emergencies. Print it and bring it to the assessment. This is evidence the RN cannot ignore.
Archive the waiting period record at activation
When your program is activated, KindredCare seals the waiting period log as a permanent, read-only record with an immutable timestamp. It cannot be edited — by you or anyone else — and is exportable as a PDF for any future dispute.
Transition to full shift logging
After activation, move into the full KindredCare shift logger. Your care record is now continuous: waiting period through every shift thereafter. If a dispute ever arises about your compensation start date, you have an unbroken, tamper-evident record.
What to include in each daily log entry
Every entry should capture:
- Date and time care started and ended
- Care tasks performed — personal hygiene, bathing/dressing, medication management, meal prep, feeding assistance, mobility/transfers, transportation, wound care, overnight supervision, medical appointments
- Any notable events — falls, medical emergencies, calls to the doctor, medication changes
- Whether a scheduled paid aide showed up or didn't (if applicable)
- Current status of the waiver application — waiting, RN assessment scheduled, program activated
If you receive any texts, emails, or calls related to the care situation during the waiting period — from the doctor, from an aide, from the agency, from the case manager — screenshot them and attach them to that day's entry in KindredCare immediately. Timestamped communications from third parties are the strongest possible supporting evidence.
Pre-activation documentation checklist
Gather these documents alongside your daily log. Some take weeks to obtain — start immediately.
| Document | Priority | When to get it | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waiver application confirmation (email or letter with date) | Critical | Day 1 | |
| Care recipient's medical records / History & Physical | Critical | Week 1 — request immediately | |
| KindredCare daily log started | Critical | Day 1 | |
| Case manager name, phone, and email documented | High | Week 1 | |
| Paid aide schedule (if applicable) documented | High | Week 1 | |
| Pharmacy / prescription records | High | Week 2 | |
| Medical appointment confirmations saved | Helpful | Ongoing | |
| Written statement from care recipient (if able) | Helpful | Month 1 | |
| Third-party witness contacts identified | Helpful | Month 1 |
Georgia program notes
Each Georgia waiver program has different rules for family caregiver compensation. Know which program applies to you before assuming what's possible.
For adults ages 21–64 with severe physical disabilities or TBI. Administered through Alliant/GMCF (800-982-0411). Family caregivers can be compensated under ICWP. Your compensation start date is the most important thing to establish through your waiting period log — document from the day you apply as if every hour is billable.
Family members generally cannot be hired as paid caregivers under CCSP in Georgia. The exception is rural areas with no licensed provider available. Spouses cannot be hired under any circumstance. However, your waiting period log still matters for the level-of-care assessment and for documenting paid aide no-shows.
Family caregivers receive 50–65% of the daily Medicaid rate, paid weekly, tax-free. The waiting period log is critical here — it establishes you were actually living with and providing care before program activation. Contact SFC Georgia at 866-938-3738.
If you are on CCSP and expecting to be paid as a family caregiver, verify your eligibility with your case manager immediately. Georgia's rules are more restrictive than most states on this point. Do not assume compensation is available without confirming the specific rules for your program.
Key Georgia contacts
Phone numbers to keep in your phone from day one: