Could You Get Paid As A Family Caregiver?

It may start with driving your loved one to a doctor’s appointment or the grocery store. Next, you’re preparing their meals or handling their bills. As your loved one’s health worsens, you wonder if you should quit your job in order to take care of them full-time.

Being a family caregiver is hard work — and it can also put a strain on your finances. Family caregivers spend close to $8,000 per year of their own money helping loved ones who are ill, aging, or living with disabilities.

AARP Foundation is here to connect you with resources that can make family caregiving easier — from getting paid for the care you provide to finding other helpful support services.

How to find programs that pay

Every state has different rules and requirements. In some states, family caregivers have to become certified in certain skills before they can be paid. Your chances of getting paid are best if you’re caring for a U.S. military veteran or for someone who qualifies for Medicaid, but there are other possibilities, too.

On the AARP Foundation Paid4Care hub, you can: 

• Find paid caregiver programs and eligibility requirements in your state
• Learn how to develop the skills you need to qualify as a paid family caregiver
• Get support for hard decisions about your job and caregiving full time

How to find additional financial and emotional support

Caregiving requires a lot of time and energy. Organizations right in your community may offer services that can offer much-needed relief like home-delivered meals, rides to doctor’s appointments, and respite care for caregivers. 

Discover what free or low-cost services are available where you live: 

• Eldercare Locator: Visit www.eldercare.gov.
• Find Help: Visit findhelp.org
• VA Caregiver Support Program: Visit www.caregiver.va.gov/index.asp

No one should try to approach the responsibilities of caregiving alone. While other family members are likely sources of support, don’t overlook friends, colleagues, clubs, or religious and other organizational affiliations.

Check the following organizations for additional resources:

• Village to Village Network: An organization that helps communities start Villages, which are membership-based groups that respond to the needs of older people within a geographic area. Find Villages across the U.S. online. Learn more.
• Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving: Created to support caregivers, both family and professional, through efforts of advocacy, education, research and service. Learn more.
• National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information: Information and tools to help plan for long-term care needs. Learn more.

Caring for a loved one is one of the most important roles you’ll play. The good news is that you don’t have to do it alone.