Caregiver resources
A curated directory for US family caregivers β whether you're caring for an aging parent, a spouse, an adult child with complex needs, or a sibling. Phone numbers that connect to real people, organizations that actually answer, plain-language guides for the moments when nothing feels clear.
National caregiving organizations
The organizations US families lean on most. All of these answer the phone with a real person.
- Information, education, and support for family caregivers. CareNav (free) is their digital orientation tool.π (800) 445-8106
- Free guides, state-by-state checklists, the Prepare to Care planning workbook.
- Federal directory connecting older adults and their caregivers to local services.π (800) 677-1116
- Coalition + research org. Their "Caregiving in the U.S." reports are the authoritative numbers.
Phone lines worth memorizing
Numbers a caregiver eventually needs. Save them to your phone tonight.
- 911Medical emergency.
- 988US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call or text.π 988
- Eldercare LocatorFind local services anywhere in the US.π (800) 677-1116
- Report suspected elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
- Poison ControlMedication interactions, overdoses, accidental ingestion.π (800) 222-1222
Advance directives
The conversation no one wants to have, with tools designed to make it easier.
- Free Conversation Starter Guide. Plain-language. Family-tested.
- Plain-language advance directive that's legally valid in most US states.
- Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment β what hospitals actually look for.
Hospice & end-of-life
Hospice isn't giving up β it's choosing comfort over more treatment when more treatment won't help. Covered fully by Medicare. Most families wish they'd started sooner.
- Find a hospice, understand what hospice covers, family-facing guides.π (800) 658-8898
- NHPCO's family-facing site. Advance directives by state, hospice 101.
Dementia & Alzheimer's
If a parent was recently diagnosed β or you're starting to wonder β these three orgs cover almost everything you'll need in the first six months.
- 24/7 helpline staffed by real people. Caregiver classes. Local chapter referrals.π (800) 272-3900
- Toll-free helpline, caregiver education, social-worker consultations.π (866) 232-8484
- All-dementia (not just Alzheimer's) education and family resources.
Falls, home safety & mobility
Falls are the leading cause of injury death among older adults. The good news: most are preventable with relatively small changes.
- Federal fall-prevention program. Self-check, home-safety checklist, exercises.
- Community-based fall prevention programs near you.
Financial assistance & benefits
There is more help available than most families discover. Start with these three.
- NCOA tool that screens for 2,500+ benefit programs by ZIP code. Free.
- Plan comparison, coverage rules, the "Find & compare" tools.π (800) 633-4227
- Free one-on-one Medicare counseling in every state.
- Monthly benefit ($1,500β$2,800+) that can pay for in-home care, assisted living, or nursing care. Underclaimed.
Driving conversations & transitions
The keys conversation is one of the most-feared in caregiving. Direct confrontation usually fails; structure makes it land. These resources give you the framing, the assessments, and the alternatives.
- The single best guide to the older-driver conversation. Scripts, timing, evidence, handling resistance.
- Self-rated driving assessment, Roadwise Review cognitive screening, family conversation worksheets.
- National Institute on Aging guide: medical conditions affecting driving, when to consider stopping, transportation alternatives.
For spouse caregivers β stroke, cancer, MS, early-onset dementia
When the marriage is the partnership and the management both. These orgs run spouse/partner-specific support, not just generic patient resources.
- Stroke Family Warmline, support groups (in-person + online), "Care for the Caregiver" practical guide.π (888) 478-7653
- Cancer Helpline 24/7 in 200+ languages, "Caregiver Resource Guide," Hope Lodge free housing for treatment travel.π (800) 227-2345
- Free professional counseling by oncology social workers. Spouse/partner-specific support groups by diagnosis. Insurance + benefits case management. Small co-pay grants.π (800) 813-4673
- Specialized in the legal/financial side: FMLA, STD, employment protections, ACA appeals, COBRA timing. Free quick-guides.
- National peer support specifically for spouses of the chronically ill or disabled. Local chapters + online community.
For parents of adult children with disabilities
Aging-out at 22, special-needs trust setup, ABLE accounts, the guardianship-versus-supported-decision-making choice, and the succession question every parent has been carrying for decades.
- Oldest national advocacy organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Local chapters run advocacy, family support, benefits counseling, guardianship education.
- Side-by-side comparison of every state's ABLE plan. ABLE accounts let an adult with a disability save up to $100k without losing SSI.
- National network of attorneys specializing in disability law. Special-needs trusts, guardianship, conservatorship, supported decision-making.
- Every state has a DD agency (DDA/DDS/DDD/OPWDD). This directory has all 50 + DC.
- Most adults with developmental disabilities qualify at 18 (income-based on the adult, not the family). SSI usually triggers automatic Medicaid eligibility.π (800) 772-1213
- Free parent training and information on IEPs, IDEA transition planning, and disability advocacy.
For sibling caregivers
When the legal next-of-kin presumption skips past you, or when a parent who was the primary caregiver can no longer be. The sibling-caregiver story doesn't fit any of the standard org templates β these are the ones that do.
- National community of siblings of people with disabilities. Local chapters, online groups, an annual conference, resources on succession + the after-the-parent-caregiver transition.
- Future Planning section + sibling-specific guides for inheriting primary caregiving.
- Online peer support forum. Smaller and warmer than AARP's community.
- Every state has one β advocates for residents of AL/SNF/group homes. The right escalation when a facility mishandles care.