The Caregiver Support Program
The program aims to alleviate the stresses associated with caregiving by focusing on the well-being of the caregiver, providing access to respite care, addressing the need for formal and informal supports, and providing financial reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs associated with caregiving-related services and supplies.
The program is administered by your local Area Agency on Aging. Each caregiver is assigned a care manager who will come to the care receivers' home, conduct a comprehensive assessment of the needs of the caregiver, provide support, and work with them to develop a person-centered plan of care.
Eligibility Based on Category Types
Both the caregiver and care receiver must be a resident of Pennsylvania. The caregiver must be an adult who is primarily responsible for providing care on a regular basis, and meet one of the following eligibility categories:
Category 1: The caregiver and care receiver are not required to be related or live in the same residence
Caregiver is:
- An individual age 18 and older
Care Receiver is:
- An individual age 60 and older with functional deficits or
- An individual of any age with Alzheimer's or related disorder
Category 2: The caregiver and care receiver must live in the same residence
Caregiver is:
- An individual age 55 and older
- Not the biological parent of the child(ren)
- Related by blood, marriage, or adoption
- Has legal guardianship, or is raising the child(ren) informally
Care Receiver is:
- A dependent child under age 18
Category 3: The caregiver and care receiver must live in the same residence
Caregiver is:
- An individual age 55 and older
- Related by blood, marriage, or adoption
- Can be the biological parent
Care Receiver is:
- An individual age 18-59 with a disability
Financial Eligibility
There is no financial eligibility requirement for the Caregiver Support Program. However, the amount of reimbursement is based on the total gross income and household size of the care receiver. The percentage of reimbursement is determined using a sliding scale based on the current Federal Poverty Level (FPL) guidelines and covers care receiver household income up to 380% of the FPL.
- Those whose income is 200% or below the FPL receive 100% reimbursement.
- Those whose income is just under 380% of the FPL receive 10% reimbursement.
- Those whose income falls between 200% and 380% receive a percentage within that range.
- Those whose income is over 380% of the FPL receive no financial reimbursement but can receive Care Management and other non-reimbursable services such as caregiver education and caregiver education and training.
Individuals are not eligible for the Caregiver Support Program if:
- The caregiver or care receiver are enrolled in Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports (Community HealthChoices/ LIFE)
- The caregiver has been convicted of or found liable for a crime relating to abuse, neglect, exploitation, or abandonment
- The caregiver is a perpetrator in a substantiated report of need for older adults protective services
Available Services
Services available through the Caregiver Support Program include:
- Care Management
- Benefits Counseling
- Caregiver Education and Training
- Reimbursement for ongoing expenses for caregiving-related services or supplies, such as:
- Respite Care
- Consumable Supplies
- Supportive Services
- Supplemental Services
- Home Modifications
- Assistive Devices
- Services specific to grandparents/older relative caregivers (55+)