Caregiver Care Resources
Resources specifically for the caregiver: support, respite, mental health, and tools to sustain the people who give so much of themselves.
Caregivers give so much of themselves, often at the expense of their own health and wellbeing. These resources are specifically for you, the caregiver. You matter too. You cannot pour from an empty cup.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
If you or someone you care for is in emotional crisis, help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text 988. Caregiving is hard, you do not have to face it alone.
Visit Resource📞 Call or text 988 · Available 24/7AARP Caregiving Resource Center
Practical tools, guides, and support for family caregivers, including how to talk to a doctor, manage medications, navigate long-term care options, and care for yourself while caring for someone else.
Visit ResourceARCH National Respite Locator
Find respite care programs near you, short-term relief care that gives family caregivers a break to rest, recharge, and take care of themselves. Search by state and service type.
Visit ResourceCaregiver Action Network
The nation's leading family caregiver organization, providing education, peer support, and resources for family caregivers across more than 90 different diseases and conditions.
Visit ResourceMental Health America: Caregiver Resources
Resources and tools for caregivers experiencing stress, burnout, anxiety, or depression. Includes a screening tool, support resources, and a directory of local mental health services.
Visit ResourceNational Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP)
A federal program providing grants to states for caregiver services, including information, counseling, respite care, and supplemental support. Available through your local Area Agency on Aging.
Visit ResourceAging Life Care Association: Geriatric Care Managers
Find a licensed geriatric care manager, a nurse or social worker who helps older adults and families navigate complex care situations, make care plans, and coordinate services.
Visit ResourcePrograms That May Pay Caregivers to Provide Care
Many caregivers do not realize that they may be able to get paid for the care they already provide. Some options depend on the state you live in and the income of the person you are caring for. Others do not depend on income at all. Here is where to start looking.
Start here: Self-Directed or Consumer-Directed Care
Almost every state has a Medicaid program that lets the person receiving care hire a family member as a paid caregiver, sometimes called self-directed care, consumer-directed care, or participant-directed services. Program names vary by state. Contact your state Medicaid office or your local Area Agency on Aging and ask specifically about this option, since it is not always offered proactively.
Adult Foster Care (AFC) and Structured Family Caregiving
Some states pay a family member a monthly, tax-free stipend to serve as a live-in caregiver, under names like Adult Foster Care (AFC), Adult Family Living, or Structured Family Caregiving. States offering this include Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, and South Dakota. Eligibility is tied to the care recipient's Medicaid status, so income limits apply.
Find Your State's ProgramVA Aid and Attendance
A needs-based pension add-on for wartime veterans or their surviving spouses who need help with daily activities. It boosts the veteran's own monthly pension, and that extra income can be used to pay a family caregiver. Often uses different income and asset rules than Medicaid, so it may be worth checking even if Medicaid is not an option.
Visit ResourceVA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC)
A separate VA program specifically for caregivers of veterans with a serious service-connected injury. Unlike Aid and Attendance, this pays the caregiver directly with a monthly stipend, plus health insurance through CHAMPVA, mental health services, and respite care.
Visit ResourcePersonal Care Agreements (Private Pay)
If your loved one does not qualify for Medicaid or VA programs because of income, they can still pay you directly out of their own funds. A Personal Care Agreement is a written contract between you and the person you care for, outlining the care you provide and the pay you receive. Putting this in writing protects both of you, and can matter later if your loved one ever applies for Medicaid, since undocumented payments can be treated as disallowed gifts. An elder law attorney can help you set this up correctly.
Long-Term Care Insurance
If your loved one already has a long-term care insurance policy, check the terms. Some policies will pay an "informal caregiver," including a family member, for providing care at home.
State Paid Family Leave
Several states plus Washington, D.C. have paid family leave laws that let you continue earning some income while taking time away from your own job to provide care. This does not pay you to be a caregiver directly, but it can help bridge the gap while you figure out a longer-term plan.
More Resources
Care Plan Software for Individuals, Families, Caregivers & Care Teams.
"No one receiving care should feel unknown. No one providing care should feel unprepared."