Caregiver guides

Practical, source-linked guides for families caring for someone at home: daily caregiving tips, aging in place, respite, dementia care, and how to pay for it. Written by the PaidToCare Editorial Team, citing NIA, CDC, Medicare, the VA, KFF, AARP and the Alzheimer's Association.

Paying for care

• Taking Care of Elderly Parents at Home and Getting Paid: A Step-by-Step Guide
  How adult children can get paid to care for a parent at home through Medicaid, VA programs, long-term care insurance, or a personal care agreement, and the steps to apply.
• How to Pay for In-Home Care for the Elderly: Medicare, Medicaid, VA, and More
  A plain-English map of how to pay for in-home care for the elderly: what Medicare does and doesn't cover, Medicaid HCBS and self-direction, PACE, VA benefits, long-term care insurance, and private pay.

Aging in place

• Aging in Place Checklist: Room-by-Room Home Modifications for Seniors
  A printable-style, room-by-room aging in place checklist: entryways, stairs, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom. Free fixes first, then contractor projects, with links to NIA, CDC and AARP.
• Free and Low-Cost Home Modifications for Seniors: Who Pays?
  Where to find free or low-cost home modifications for seniors: Medicaid waivers, VA HISA and adaptive housing grants, USDA home repair loans and grants, weatherization, and local programs.

Caregiver wellbeing

• Caregiver Burnout: Symptoms, Warning Signs, and What Actually Helps
  Recognize caregiver burnout symptoms early, the warning signs NIA lists, and practical steps that help: respite, asking for specific help, talking to your doctor, and getting paid support.
• Respite Care for the Elderly: How to Find It and How to Pay for It
  What respite care is, the types (in-home, adult day, short stays), how to find providers with the ARCH locator and Eldercare Locator, and what Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA may cover.

Dementia care

• Dementia Care at Home: Safety, Daily Routines, and What Medicare Covers
  A practical guide to dementia care at home: home safety from NIA, daily routines, wandering, communication, Medicare's cognitive assessment and GUIDE Model, and when to get more help.

Caregiver tips

• Caregiver Tips for Elderly Parents: 15 Practical Habits That Make Home Care Work
  Practical caregiver tips for caring for an elderly parent at home: organize medications and records, set up the home, share the load with family, protect your health, and plan for paid help.

Getting paid

• Personal Care Agreements: How to Get Paid by a Parent to Provide Care
  How a personal care (caregiver) agreement works when a parent pays a family member for care: what to put in it, why it matters for the Medicaid look-back, and the IRS household employer rules.

Caregiver stories

We don't make up stories. Read real stories from paid family caregivers, summarized from published reporting with links to the originals, or share your own.

Looking for program rules? Browse paid caregiver programs by state or get the $9 template pack.