Government Agencies for Family Caregivers: Five Offices That Can Actually Help

Nobody prepares you for the government offices.

You spend the first weeks of caregiving figuring out how to help your parent with daily life. Then a doctor mentions Medicaid. A social worker hands you a phone number for something called the Area Agency on Aging. Someone says your parent might qualify for VA benefits. And suddenly you’re supposed to know what all of these government agencies do, what they can actually provide, and how to get in the door.

Most family caregivers piece this together on their own, often after missing programs they were entitled to. This series is built so you don’t have to learn it the hard way.

We cover five agencies and offices that come up repeatedly in family caregiving: what each one does, who it’s for, what to expect when you contact them, and what to bring. Not every office will apply to your situation. But knowing what exists means you won’t miss something your family actually qualifies for.

The Five Offices, In the Order Most Families Encounter Them

1. Your Local Area Agency on Aging (AAA)

The Area Agency on Aging is usually the first stop for new caregivers, often because a hospital social worker mentions it or a neighbor who’s been through this suggests it.

Your local AAA is funded under the Older Americans Act of 1965. There are more than 600 of them nationwide, according to the Administration for Community Living, and each one covers a specific county or region. Their job is to connect older adults and their family caregivers with services that exist in your community. Meals on Wheels referrals, in-home aide connections, transportation programs, respite care resources, caregiver support groups: the AAA coordinates access to all of these and more.

You don’t need to be low-income to call. You don’t need a doctor’s referral or an appointment. You call, describe your parent’s situation, and they guide you toward what’s available where you live.

To find your local AAA, use the Eldercare Locator at eldercare.acl.gov or call 1-800-677-1116 (Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–8 p.m. ET).

This episode is coming soon. We’ll cover your local Area Agency on Aging in depth: what to expect when you call, what services are typically available, and how to make the most of your first conversation.

2. Your State Medicaid Office

Medicaid becomes relevant when your parent’s care costs begin to exceed what they can pay out of pocket, or when nursing facility care becomes a possibility.

Medicaid is a joint federal-state program, but each state administers it through its own office, with its own eligibility rules and application process. According to KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation), more than 6 in 10 nursing facility residents rely on Medicaid as their primary payer. Many states also offer Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers, which can pay for in-home care, adult day programs, or other services that help people stay out of nursing facilities.

The income and asset limits for Medicaid are strict, and the application process takes time. An elder law attorney can help you understand the planning options available in your state before you apply. The Medicaid office itself can tell you what programs your state offers and what documents you’ll need to start.

To find your state Medicaid office, visit medicaid.gov and select your state.

This episode is coming soon. We’ll cover what to expect at a state Medicaid office visit, how to prepare, and what to ask.

3. Social Security Administration (SSA)

The Social Security Administration manages retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If your parent hasn’t claimed retirement benefits, has a significant disability, or has limited income and assets, the SSA is worth contacting.

According to SSA’s Monthly Statistical Snapshot, more than 71 million Americans currently receive Social Security benefits. The SSA also administers SSI, which provides monthly payments to low-income older adults and people with disabilities, regardless of their work history.

You can reach the SSA by phone at 1-800-772-1213 (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–7 p.m.) or online at ssa.gov. For complex situations, including disability claims or appeals, an in-person appointment at your local SSA office can be helpful. Ask for one when you call.

This episode is coming soon. We’ll walk through what to bring to an SSA appointment and what to do if a claim is denied.

4. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

If your parent served in the military, the VA has programs specifically for their care and for the people who support them.

Two programs come up most often for family caregivers. The first is Aid and Attendance, a pension benefit that provides extra monthly income to eligible veterans who need help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, or eating. It can be used to pay for in-home care or assisted living. The second is the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC), which offers a monthly stipend, health insurance, and respite care to caregivers of eligible veterans with serious service-connected injuries or illnesses. As of October 2022, PCAFC is open to veterans of all service eras, not only those who served after September 11. The VA’s Caregiver Support Program outlines eligibility requirements and application steps for both.

Start with the VA’s Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 or visit caregiver.va.gov.

This episode is coming soon. We’ll cover the Aid and Attendance application and the PCAFC in plain language, including what caregivers often miss.

5. The Hospital Social Work Department

This one surprises people: the social work department inside a hospital or rehabilitation facility can do a significant amount of coordination for you, and they’re already on staff.

Hospital social workers help families with discharge planning, connecting to community resources, understanding Medicaid and Medicare coverage, and sometimes just talking through what the next phase of care looks like. The time to ask for one is during any hospital stay, not after your parent has already been discharged. According to the National Association of Social Workers, hospital social workers are trained specifically to help patients and families plan for what comes after a hospitalization.

Ask a nurse or patient services desk for the social work department. Most hospitals have one, and there’s no additional charge for the consultation.

This episode is coming soon. We’ll cover what to ask a hospital social worker during a hospitalization and how to make the most of the discharge planning conversation.

What Every Office Visit Has in Common

Whether you’re calling the AAA or walking into a Medicaid office, a few things will make every interaction more productive.

Bring identification for the person you’re caring for. A government-issued ID, their Social Security number, and any insurance cards (Medicare, Medicaid, private) are useful for almost any intake process.

Write your questions down before you go. Staff at government offices often carry high caseloads. Two or three specific written questions will serve you better than trying to remember everything on the spot.

Ask about waiting lists. Many programs have them. Finding out early means you can plan around the wait rather than being caught off guard.

Get the name of the person who helped you. If you need to follow up, knowing who you spoke with makes the next call significantly faster.

Don’t expect one call to solve everything. Government programs move slowly. The goal of a first contact is usually to understand your options and gather the paperwork requirements, not to have everything resolved by the end of the day.

For a broader look at the financial programs available to caregivers, including lesser-known benefits beyond what government agencies cover, see our guide to financial help for family caregivers.

How to Use This Series

Each episode in this series covers one office or program in depth: what it does, who it serves, how to prepare for first contact, what questions to ask, and what to watch out for.

You won’t need all five. Most families will find one or two offices directly relevant to their situation. But reading the overview for each takes less time than a phone call, and it may help you recognize something your family qualifies for that you didn’t know existed.

If you’re not sure where to start, begin with the Area Agency on Aging. It’s free, it covers your local area, and the staff there can often tell you which other agencies are most relevant for your parent’s specific situation.