Know your helpers

Know your helpers

The five doors that actually exist, and what to say when you call. Two are run by the federal government and route you to the right local office automatically, so this page has nothing to go stale except by their own updates.

The Eldercare Locator

The first call, whenever you do not yet know which of the other four you need.

A federal hotline and website, run by the Administration for Community Living, that connects you to a specialist who routes you to services near the person you are caring for, including your local Area Agency on Aging.

What to saySay the city or county and state where the person you are caring for lives, and what kind of help you are looking for. The ZIP code is what actually routes the call, so have it ready.

Cannot help withIt refers, it does not manage anything itself and cannot make a decision for you. It is not an emergency line.

Your Area Agency on Aging

Reached through the same call as the Eldercare Locator above, not a separate number.

Your local agency, the one that actually runs programs in your county: meals, transportation, caregiver support, and in some places direct respite funding. What is available varies a lot from one county to the next.

What to sayName your county specifically, and ask what caregiver support they fund directly, since that is the part that differs most by area.

Cannot help withIt cannot promise availability. Good programs often have a waitlist, so ask about the waitlist on this first call, not after you apply.

The ARCH National Respite Locator

When the thing you need is a break, even a short one.

A searchable directory of respite providers and programs by area, run by the ARCH National Respite Network. It is a directory, not a service; ARCH itself does not provide respite care.

What to sayThis one is self-serve. Search by ZIP and the kind of care needed, and expect a list rather than a single answer.

Cannot help withThe directory is informational and not all-inclusive, and being listed is not an endorsement. Review anyone you find the same way you would from any listing, before you hire them.

Your state's Long-Term Care Ombudsman

If something feels wrong about care in a nursing home, assisted living, or similar licensed setting.

The advocate for residents of licensed long-term care settings. Every state has one; there is no single national phone number, so the link below finds yours.

What to sayBe specific: what you saw or were told, the facility's name, and the date. Specifics are what let them act quickly.

Cannot help withThis is for licensed facility care, not a home caregiving situation, and it is not where to report immediate danger. For that, call 911.

Your state's Medicaid waiver office

When the question is whether Medicaid can pay for care at home instead of in a facility.

Administers Home and Community-Based Services waivers, the Medicaid programs that can fund in-home care. What is covered and who qualifies varies a great deal by state, more than any of the other four doors here.

What to sayAsk specifically for HCBS waiver intake, not just the general Medicaid line, since the general line often does not recognize the program by name. Then ask how long the waitlist is right now. Some states' waitlists run years, and knowing that on the first call is worth more than finding out after you apply.

Cannot help withNothing here can tell you what your state specifically covers. Eligibility and covered services are set state by state, so only your state's own office has the real answer.

Only two of these five keep a single national number: the Eldercare Locator and the Area Agency on Aging you reach through it. The other three are run state by state, and the ombudsman and Medicaid waiver links above route you to the right one for where the person you are caring for lives. Every number and link here was checked directly against the organization's own page on 2026-07-26, and if any of them ever stop working, that is worth telling us so we can fix it, not something you did wrong.

This page names where to call, not what will happen when you do. Nothing here is medical, legal, or financial advice, and none of it is specific to your situation.