Caring for an aging parent or relative can come with serious challenges, not the least of which are financial in nature. On average, family caregivers spend $7,200/year caring for a parent or older adult in our family. That’s a $600 bite taken out of our monthly income, assuming we still have a monthly income—many of us have had to leave our jobs to provide long-term care.

Fortunately, many government programs are designed specifically to provide financial assistance to older adults who need additional support. Despite the various federal, state, and local support sources, many family caregivers don’t take advantage of these benefits, simply because we don’t know they exist.

Seven of the most overlooked government benefits for older adults that may make caregiving just a little bit easier are:

1. Money for Veterans to Modify their Caregiver’s Home

2. Utility Bill Assistance

3. Help With Medicare Premiums

4. Medicare home health benefit

5. Help With Chores and Errands

6. Shoe Allowance for Older Adults with Diabetes

7. Subsidized Housing

Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail. 

1.  Money for Veterans to Modify their Caregiver’s Home

If the family member we’re caring for is a retired service member with service-connected disabilities, and they live in our home, we may be eligible to receive a Temporary Residence Adaptation grant. These grants can cover modifications like adding ramps and grab bars, widening doorways, installing accessible bathroom fixtures, and more.

What is it?

• Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) grants are offered by the Veterans Administration (VA) to improve accessibility for a family caregiver’s home. 
• The maximum TRA grant amount is $47,130.

Who’s eligible?

• Veterans who live in the home of a caregiver.
• The caregiver’s home does not meet the veteran’s accessibility needs.
• The veteran must have certain severe, service-connected disabilities that would make them eligible for a Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant to improve accessibility for their own home, if they lived in their own home.

How do we apply?

• For specifics on eligibility requirements and to apply, visit the VA Disability Housing Grants site.

For information on VA programs that pay family caregivers, read our article, Four Ways to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver.

2. Utility Bill Assistance

Utilities can be a significant caregiver expense, especially for those of us who live in more extreme climates. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) can help people with limited income pay their energy bills. 

What is it?

• LIHEAP provides bill payment assistance for energy/utilities.
• If we qualify, we can get funding for weatherization of our home.
• Recipients may receive money for energy-related repairs.
• In some cases, grants to offset the cost of solar panel installation are available.

Who’s eligible?

• To qualify for LIHEAP, we need to have an income under the established limit for our household size. 
• If we’re currently receiving benefits from other government programs for low-income individuals—including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI)—we may be eligible automatically.
• This table from the LIHEAP page on the benefits.gov website shows the maximum income level allowed by household size in order to qualify for this benefit.

How do we apply?

• For information on where and how to apply, contact the National Energy Assistance Referral program by calling 1-866-674-6327, or by emailing energy@ncat.org.

3. Help With Medicare Premiums

Low-income seniors may not be aware that they qualify for help paying their Medicare Parts A and B premiums. These four federal programs can result in significant savings throughout the year.

What is it?

• Medicare Savings Programs can pay Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B premiums.
• In some cases, they can also cover out-of-pocket expenses like deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance. 

Who’s eligible?

• Eligibility is determined by each state’s Medicaid program.
• Each state sets an income limit to qualify for the benefit.

How do we apply?

• To find state-specific requirements and to apply, contact the state’s Medicaid office.

4. Medicare Home Health Benefit

Medicare beneficiaries who are homebound may be eligible for covered home health services. This can allow family caregivers to share some of their care responsibilities with a skilled nurse, therapist, and/or home health aide.

What is it?

• Home health is medical care that can be provided in the home by a skilled nurse, physical, occupational, or speech therapist, and a home health aide under the supervision of a skilled nurse. Don’t confuse it with home care, which is non-medical in nature (companionship, errands, light housework).
• The Medicare home health benefit covers medically necessary home health services for homebound beneficiaries with health conditions and care needs that put them at high risk for hospitalization.

Who’s eligible?

• The person seeking care must be covered by Medicare.
• They must be homebound, which means that leaving the home is very difficult or dangerous for them, due to illness, weakness, or lack of stamina. They must require assistance from another person or a medical device such as a cane, walker, wheelchair, crutches, ramp, or special transportation in order to leave home. They only leave home for required appointments and special occasions (e.g., wedding, graduation, funeral). 
• They must have a medical condition that requires intermittent skilled care.

How do we apply?

• Accessing the Medicare home health benefit can be a little…involved. The person we care for has to meet in person with their doctor to discuss if home health is right for them, and request a home health referral order. Some doctors aren’t familiar with this process unless the patient is being discharged from a hospital. But many of us are caring for someone who's living successfully at home (thanks to us) and still qualifies for the Medicare home health benefit. In this case, their doctor might need some guidance on preparing a referral order.

RubyWell is making the process of accessing home health care easier for families, by predicting if the person we care for may be eligible for the Medicare home health benefit. If they do appear to be eligible, RubyWell provides the care recipient with a personalized Home Health Discussion Guide to bring to the doctor appointment so they can clearly communicate their health needs to their doctor. The guide also advises the doctor on what must be included in the home health referral order so it will be accepted by the home health agency. If you're ready to check if you or your loved one is eligible for Medicare's Home Health benefit, you can take our eligibility quiz now.

5. Help With Chores and Errands

Thanks to the Older Americans Act (OAA), older adults who need assistance keeping up with household responsibilities may be able to get free or discounted outside help. This could free up family caregivers’ time by taking a few things off our To Do list every week.

What is it?

• The OAA provides benefits for homemaking services, which include chores and grocery shopping. 

Who’s eligible?

• The applicant must be 60 or older.
• While there’s no income limit federally, this benefit is administered by individual states, so there may be additional requirements.

How do we apply?

• Contact the agency that administers elder care services in your state for more information on how to apply. Click here for a directory of state elder care agencies.

6. Shoe Allowance for Older Adults with Diabetes

Medicare will help pay for therapeutic shoes for aging adults with diabetes. 

What is it?

• Medicare covers 80% of the cost of custom shoes and inserts for enrollees with diabetes.
• Annual coverage includes one pair of custom-molded shoes and inserts OR one pair of extra-depth shoes.
• Coverage also includes two to three additional pairs of inserts per calendar year.

Who’s eligible?

To qualify, our family member must be enrolled in a Medicare plan, must be receiving treatment through the plan, and must have at least three of the following conditions:

• Diabetes
• Foot deformity
• Nerve damage caused by diabetes
• Foot ulcers
• Amputation of foot
• Poor circulation

To use this benefit, they must have a prescription for the shoes from their doctor.

How do we apply?

• Check the durable medical equipment (DME) section of their coverage to find out their benefits, or call the phone number on their insurance card for more information on their coverage.

7. Subsidized Housing

Most people have heard of Section 8 vouchers for housing assistance, but few family caregivers know the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also has a Section 202 subsidy program for senior housing assistance. 

What is it? 

• Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly is specifically designated for low-income senior citizens.
• Eligible properties are usually apartment complexes with supportive community features like cleaning, cooking, and transportation.
• These properties are designed with older adults in mind, so the buildings have accessibility elements like grab bars, ramps, and elevators.

Who’s eligible?

• Households with at least one person age 62 or older.
• No citizenship requirement.
• Households must make less than 50% of the Area Median Income for the area to which our older family member is applying.

How do we apply?

This application process can be lengthy, but if taken one step at a time, it’s doable. And worth it. 

1. Find a Section 202 home where our family member would like to live.
2. Start working with the landlord or property owner to apply for a grant.
3. Ask the landlord or property owner for an estimated waitlist time. Multi-year waitlists aren’t uncommon. 
4. Receive approval for the grant. Approval for these grants takes into account individual circumstances. Priority goes to applicants who:

• are being forced to move from their existing housing;
• live in substandard conditions; or
• are currently spending more than 50% of their income on rent.

Information and help finding Section 202 homes available in our area can be provided by our local HUD agency.

It’s Easier to Accept Help When We Know Where to Find It

There’s so much to think about when we’re shouldering responsibility for an aging family member’s care that there can be little time left to learn about the financial support available to us. But knowing how to find that support can make an enormous impact. By tapping into these overlooked benefits, we can maximize the level of care our loved one receives, and reduce our out-of-pocket caregiver expenses.

At RubyWell, we’re paving a path to financial stability for all family caregivers. Our Family Leave Finder provides state-by-state info on family leave laws. And we've launched a pilot in Arizona and Pennsylvania to evaluate our program that helps eligible homebound adults access Medicare covered home health services. You can answer the questionnaire here to find out if the person you care for is eligible. Soon, we'll also help family caregivers get trained, certified, and hired to provide that covered care. If you live in another state, tell us where you’d like us to bring our family caregiver program next.

Was this story helpful for you? Share it with family or friends who are caring for an older family member who could benefit from some of these government assistance programs.