Getting started

  • AARP provides online advice, including how-to guides in multiple languages, as well as state-by-state resources.
  • Call for help at the Caregiver Action Network's help desk at 855-227-3640 (8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET) or AARP’s resource line at 1-877-333-5885.
  • Ask your employer. Some companies provide access to a caregiving navigator who can guide you through the health care maze.

    • Caring for seniors

  • You can hire a geriatric care manager (often a nurse or social worker) who can coordinate medical care or paid caregivers and find other resources such as respite care. One source is the Aging Life Care Association directory.
  • Your local Area Agency on Aging can refer you to many local services like adult day care or legal help. Find yours here.

    • Disease-specific help

  • Find tailored information for caregiving for certain conditions at organizations like the Alzheimer’s Association or the American Cancer Society.
  • The National Alliance for Caregiving provides specific guides for memory loss, mental illness and people caring for seriously ill children.

    • Emotional support

  • In-person or online support groups can be a gold mine of knowledge and friendship. Some talk over Zoom; others post on Facebook or Reddit. Search for your situation plus “caregiver support group." Try AARP’s family caregivers Facebook group.
  • If you’re caring for a spouse, the Well Spouse Association lists support groups here.
  • AARP’s Care for the Caregiver offers commonsense advice on adjusting to this reality.

    • Finances

  • For veterans, explore Veterans Aid and Attendance to defray caregiving costs.
  • AARP Foundation’s Paid4Care hub walks you through ways to get paid as a family caregiver.
  • An elder law attorney can help you secure benefits, understand Medicaid, set up power of attorney and provide advice about long-term care.
  • Hilarity for Charity offers respite grants for those caring for people with dementia.
  • The federal Family Medical Leave Act gives employees at larger companies the right to take unpaid leave in some caregiving situations. Learn more. Some states and cities have added on paid leave benefits and broadened eligibility. Look up yours here.