Caregiver Support Programs: Free and Low-Cost Help

Caregiver support is free or low-cost help for the family member doing the caring: someone to talk to, training, a support group, a few hours or days off, and sometimes money. The biggest source is the federal National Family Caregiver Support Program, which every state runs through its local Area Agencies on Aging. Caregivers of veterans have a second door through the VA, and Medicare and Medicaid each pay for some pieces.

The fastest way in is one phone call. The Eldercare Locator, a public service of the federal Administration for Community Living, connects you to the Area Agency on Aging where your parent lives. Call or text 1-800-677-1116, or chat online at eldercare.acl.gov.

Caregiver Support Programs Compared

Program	Who it’s for	What you can get	Cost
National Family Caregiver Support Program	Family and informal caregivers of people 60+, or of anyone with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia	Information, help getting services, counseling, support groups, training, respite, limited extras	Free or low-cost through your Area Agency on Aging
Lifespan Respite Care	Caregivers of people of any age, in states with a grant	Help finding respite; in some states, respite vouchers	Varies by state
VA General Caregiver Support Services	Caregivers of veterans of any era enrolled in VA health care	Skills training, coaching, peer mentoring, support groups, phone support	Free
VA Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers	Caregivers of veterans rated 70% or higher who need ongoing personal care	Monthly stipend, health insurance if uninsured, counseling, at least 30 days of respite a year	Free
Medicare caregiver training	Caregivers of a person with Medicare, when the provider includes it in the treatment plan	Individual or group training sessions	20% coinsurance after the Part B deductible
CMS GUIDE dementia model	Caregivers of a person with dementia whose provider takes part	Care navigator, 24/7 support line, training, respite up to $2,500 a year	Covered by Medicare for eligible patients
Medicaid home care and waivers	People who qualify for Medicaid long-term care	Home care, adult day, respite; in self-directed programs, the person chooses their own workers	Covered by Medicaid

The National Family Caregiver Support Program

Congress created the National Family Caregiver Support Program in 2000 under the Older Americans Act. The federal government sends each state a grant based on its share of people 70 and older, and the state passes the money to local Area Agencies on Aging and their providers.

Every program offers five kinds of help:

• Information about services in your area.
• Help getting those services, such as someone who calls agencies with you or sets up an assessment.
• Counseling, support groups and caregiver training.
• Respite care, so you can take a break.
• Supplemental services on a limited basis.

Who qualifies:

• adult family members or other informal caregivers of someone 60 or older;
• caregivers of a person of any age living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder;
• relatives 55 or older (other than parents) raising children under 18;
• relatives 55 or older, including parents, caring for adults 18 to 59 with disabilities.

You don’t have to live with your parent, and you don’t have to be paid. What each local agency offers differs, so call early and ask what’s available where your parent lives.

Does it help? In ACL’s survey of caregivers using these services, 74 percent said the services let them provide care longer than they otherwise could, 88 percent said they became better caregivers, and nearly 62 percent said the person they cared for would be living in a nursing home without them. In fiscal 2014, the latest year ACL reports service counts, more than 700,000 caregivers got help, and more than 604,000 received respite.

Respite Care for Caregivers

Respite is short-term care for your parent so you can rest, work, travel or simply sleep. It can last a few hours or a few days, at home, at an adult day center or in a care facility. Here’s where it comes from:

• Your Area Agency on Aging. Respite is one of the five core services of the National Family Caregiver Support Program.
• Lifespan Respite Care. This ACL program funds statewide respite systems that help families find respite for any age. Since 2009, ACL has awarded grants in 39 states and Washington, D.C., and Congress set aside $10 million for it in fiscal 2025. Some states use the money for respite vouchers that let you choose the provider.
• The VA. VA respite pays for short-term care for an enrolled veteran at home with a health aide, at an adult day health center or in a nursing home, when the veteran meets clinical criteria. A copay may apply. Primary caregivers in the comprehensive program get at least 30 days a year.
• Medicare’s GUIDE model. For a person with dementia whose doctor or clinic participates, CMS pays for respite up to $2,500 a year per eligible patient, in the home, at adult day or in a facility.
• Medicaid. Respite care and adult day health services are among the standard services states can offer in Medicaid home and community-based waivers, for people who qualify. See Medicaid waivers for home care.

The respite care guide covers settings and costs in more detail, and the adult day care guide explains daytime programs that give caregivers regular weekday breaks.

The VA Caregiver Support Program

The VA runs a Caregiver Support Program with a Caregiver Support Team at every VA medical center. It has two parts.

Program of General Caregiver Support Services. This is open to caregivers of veterans of any era who are enrolled in VA health care, as long as the veteran agrees to receive care from that caregiver. It offers skills training, one-on-one and group coaching, peer support mentoring, telephone support, online programs and referrals to VA and community services.

Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. This is the program people mean by “the VA pays family caregivers.” The veteran must:

• have a VA disability rating of 70% or higher, individual or combined;
• be discharged, or have a medical discharge date;
• need at least 6 months of continuous, in-person personal care;
• be enrolled in VA health care.

The caregiver must be at least 18 and either a spouse, son, daughter, parent, stepfamily member or extended family member, or someone who lives full time with the veteran or is willing to.

A primary family caregiver can get a monthly stipend, health coverage through CHAMPVA if they have no other insurance, mental health counseling, travel reimbursement and at least 30 days of respite a year.

How to apply: use VA Form 10-10CG online, by mail or in person at a VA medical center. For questions, the VA Caregiver Support Line is 1-855-260-3274, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.

For VA help with long-term care costs themselves, such as Aid and Attendance, see the VA long-term care guide.

Medicare and Medicaid Help for Caregivers

Medicare caregiver training. Medicare Part B covers training for a caregiver when your parent’s doctor or another provider decides it’s part of the treatment plan. You can attend individual or group sessions without your parent present. Training can cover giving medicines, helping with daily tasks, moving your parent safely, communicating, managing their conditions and preventing bedsores and infections. After the Part B deductible, the cost is 20% of the Medicare-approved amount. Ask the doctor directly; it isn’t offered unless the provider recommends it.

The GUIDE dementia model. CMS launched GUIDE on July 1, 2024, for 8 years. Participating practices give a person living with dementia and their caregiver a care navigator, a 24/7 support line, caregiver training and respite. Ask your parent’s doctor whether their practice takes part. The dementia care options guide covers the rest of the care picture.

Medicaid at home. If your parent qualifies for Medicaid long-term care, state programs can pay for home care, adult day and respite. In self-directed Medicaid programs, your parent (or their representative) can recruit, hire, train and supervise their own workers and in some programs manage a budget. Ask your state Medicaid agency whether family members can be hired under its rules. Check the income and asset limits with the Medicaid long-term care checker.

Medicare doesn’t pay for 24-hour care at home, or for personal care with bathing, dressing or using the bathroom when that’s the only care your parent needs. The home health vs home care guide explains the line, and the in-home care guide covers who pays for aides.

Caregiver Support Groups and Counseling

Support groups put you in a room, or a video call, with people facing the same thing. NIA notes they can offer practical suggestions as well as understanding. Places to find one:

• Your Area Agency on Aging, which organizes support groups and individual counseling under the National Family Caregiver Support Program.
• The VA, which offers group support, peer support mentoring and coaching for caregivers of veterans.
• Your own doctor. NIA suggests telling your doctor you’re a caregiver; they may know local groups and respite options and can look after your own health.
• Your faith community, where larger congregations may host caregiver groups.

If your parent lives with dementia, ask your Area Agency on Aging about groups focused on dementia caregiving.

State Caregiver Programs

Each state names and runs its program a little differently. A few examples:

State	Program	Run by
California	Family Caregiver Services	California Department of Aging
Texas	Caregiver support services through Area Agencies on Aging	Texas Health and Human Services
New York	National Family Caregiver Support Program	New York State Office for the Aging
Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania Caregiver Support Program	Pennsylvania Department of Aging
Ohio	National Family Caregiver Support Program	Ohio Department of Aging
Washington	Family Caregiver Support Program	Department of Social and Health Services
Alabama	Alabama CARES	Alabama Department of Senior Services

Your state page lists the caregiver program and the aging agency for every state.

Signs You Need More Help Now

NIA lists these signs of caregiver stress:

• feeling exhausted, overwhelmed or anxious;
• getting angry or impatient easily;
• feeling lonely or cut off;
• trouble sleeping;
• feeling sad or hopeless, or losing interest in things you enjoyed;
• frequent headaches, pain or other physical problems;
• no time to exercise or eat well;
• skipping showers or other personal care;
• misusing alcohol or drugs, including prescription medicines.

If several apply, it’s time to add help, not push harder. Ask family for specific tasks, book respite, or look at whether your parent needs more care than one person can give. The care options guide helps you match your parent’s needs to the right type of care, and the legal and financial planning guide helps you get documents in place so decisions don’t all fall on you.

If you’re in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 any time. If your parent is in a nursing home and you’re worried about their care, the abuse warning signs guide explains who to call.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Have to Live With My Parent to Get Caregiver Support?

No. The National Family Caregiver Support Program serves adult family members and other informal caregivers of people 60 and older, and of people of any age with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder. It doesn't require you to live with the person. Long-distance caregivers can call the Area Agency on Aging where the parent lives.

Can the VA Pay a Family Member to Be a Caregiver?

Yes, through the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. A primary family caregiver gets a monthly stipend if the veteran has a VA disability rating of 70% or higher, needs at least 6 months of continuous in-person personal care and meets the other rules. Apply with VA Form 10-10CG.

Does Medicare Pay for Respite Care?

Not as a general benefit. Under the hospice benefit, Medicare covers inpatient respite in an approved facility for up to 5 days at a time so the caregiver can rest. People with dementia whose doctors take part in CMS's GUIDE model can get respite services, with CMS paying up to $2,500 a year per eligible patient. See the respite care guide for every option.

What Is the VA Caregiver Support Line?

It's a VA phone line for caregivers of veterans, at 1-855-260-3274, open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. Staff can answer questions about VA caregiver programs and connect you to the Caregiver Support Team at your local VA medical center.

Is There Help for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren?

Yes. The National Family Caregiver Support Program also serves relatives 55 and older (other than parents) raising children under 18, and relatives 55 and older, including parents, caring for adults 18 to 59 with disabilities.

Where Do I Find a Caregiver Support Group Near Me?

Ask your local Area Agency on Aging, which organizes support groups under the National Family Caregiver Support Program; the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116, call or text) can give you its number. Caregivers of veterans can join VA group support through the local Caregiver Support Team.

More on Caregiving

• Legal and Financial PlanningPowers of attorney, advance directives and planning for care costs
• Memory CareSecured dementia care in assisted living and nursing homes, state rules and how to pay
• Assisted Living vs Nursing HomeHow the two settings differ in care, rules and who pays
• Memory Care vs Assisted LivingWhen a person with dementia needs a secured memory care unit
• In-Home CarePersonal care, homemaker help and how Medicaid and VA pay for it
• Home Health vs Home CareThe difference between Medicare home health and paid personal care

This guide explains long-term care in plain language from official sources. It isn't medical, legal or financial advice; a doctor, your state Medicaid agency or an elder law attorney can advise on your situation.

Sources

1. ACL: National Family Caregiver Support Program
2. ACL: Lifespan Respite Care Program
3. Eldercare Locator
4. VA: Caregiver Support Program
5. VA: Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers
6. VA Geriatrics and Extended Care: Respite care
7. Medicare.gov: Caregiver training services
8. CMS: GUIDE (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience) Model
9. Medicaid.gov: Self-directed services
10. National Institute on Aging: Taking care of yourself, tips for caregivers