Caregiver Programs in Arkansas: Paid, Respite & Support (2026)

Arkansas caregiver programs can pay a family member, even a spouse, to give care at home; fund respite so you can rest; and open a separate stack of VA benefits for veterans' families.

If you are caring for an aging parent, a spouse, or an adult child with a disability in Arkansas, the hard part is rarely whether help exists. It is knowing what is there and where to start. This guide maps every major caregiver program in the state for 2026: who each one pays, what it costs you, and the first call to make.

You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to fund all of it from your savings.

In This Guide

• Arkansas Caregiver Programs at a Glance
• Can You Get Paid to Be a Caregiver in Arkansas?
• How Do You Get Free Respite in Arkansas?
• Where to Get Help in Arkansas
• VA Caregiver Benefits in Arkansas
• Taxes for Arkansas Caregivers
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

Arkansas Caregiver Programs at a Glance

Can You Get Paid to Be a Caregiver in Arkansas?

If the person you care for is enrolled in Arkansas Medicaid, the answer is often yes. Arkansas runs two distinct pathways that can pay a family member, and it helps to know which one you are looking at before you call.

ARChoices in Homecare Waiver. ARChoices is a 1915(c) Medicaid waiver for people ages 65 and older, and adults 21 to 64 with a physical disability, who need a nursing-facility level of care. Arkansas DHS first determines that the person meets that level-of-care threshold, then builds a care plan. The waiver covers attendant care, adult day health, and respite, and it operates with a concurrent 1915(j) self-directed authority under which a legally liable relative, including a spouse, may be the paid attendant.1

Independent Choices. Independent Choices is Arkansas's older self-directed program, first implemented in 1988 and one of the state's original consumer-directed models. Rather than assigning an agency aide, it lets the participant manage a care budget and hire the attendant of their choice, which can include certain relatives. Confirm the current family-member and spousal rules for either pathway with the Arkansas DHS Choices in Living Resource Center.1

For the full guide to who can be paid and how, see: How to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in Arkansas.

How Do You Get Free Respite in Arkansas?

Even if the person you care for is not on Medicaid and has no veteran connection, you are not out of options. The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), funded by Title III-E of the Older Americans Act of 1965, is the one lane open to almost every family caregiver, whether or not the person you care for is on Medicaid. It flows through Arkansas's Area Agencies on Aging and funds five categories of caregiver services: information, help accessing services, counseling and training, respite care, and limited supplemental services. Respite amounts and any cost sharing are set locally by each Area Agency on Aging, not by a federal formula.2

If the person you care for is on Medicaid, their waiver care plan can also authorize respite within the plan. For the full respite guide, see: Respite Care in Arkansas. To reach your regional Area Agency on Aging, use the contacts in the next section.

Where to Get Help in Arkansas

Arkansas's Area Agencies on Aging are the front door for most caregiver support that is not tied to a Medicaid waiver: NFCSP respite, adult day referrals, caregiver training, counseling, and local resource information. The calls below are free and carry no obligation. A counselor will identify what is available in your area and help you start an application.2

VA Caregiver Benefits in Arkansas

If the person you care for is a veteran, an entirely separate set of benefits opens up, and it is often more generous than the Medicaid path. Veterans enrolled in VA health care in Arkansas can access caregiver support programs that stand apart from Medicaid.

VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC)

The PCAFC pays a monthly stipend to the Primary Family Caregiver of an eligible veteran. The stipend is calculated from the federal GS-4, Step 1 annual rate for the veteran's locality, divided by 12, then multiplied by a level factor. Caregivers can be family members, including spouses, or non-family members. To qualify, the veteran needs a service-connected disability rating of 70 percent or higher, a demonstrated need for in-person personal care, and enrollment in VA health care.3

VA Aid and Attendance Pension

Wartime veterans and surviving spouses who meet the functional criteria and have countable assets and income under the net-worth limit ($163,699 in 2026) may receive the Aid and Attendance pension. A single veteran with Aid and Attendance receives up to $2,424 per month ($29,093/year); a veteran with one dependent up to $2,874 per month. The pension goes to the veteran, who typically pays a family caregiver from it.4

The Arkansas state veterans agency and county or town Veterans Service Officers help file at no cost. To speak with a VA Caregiver Support Coordinator, call the VA Caregiver Support Line listed in Where to Get Help in Arkansas.

Taxes for Arkansas Caregivers

Taxes are the part most families dread, but here the news is often gentler than you would expect: money you receive to care for a loved one is frequently treated more kindly than an ordinary paycheck. Here is what to know before you file.

IRS Notice 2014-7

If you live in the same home as the person you care for and are paid through a Medicaid program, your wages may be excluded from federal gross income under IRS Notice 2014-7. This applies to many Arkansas self-directed caregiving arrangements. Talk to a tax preparer familiar with the rule before filing.

Arkansas State Income Tax

State income tax treatment of caregiver wages varies. Confirm the current rate and how it applies to Medicaid waiver payments with the Arkansas state revenue department or a tax preparer.

VA PCAFC Stipend

The PCAFC payment is a monthly stipend to the Primary Family Caregiver, not an hourly wage from an employer. As a benefit paid under a law administered by the VA, it is exempt from taxation under 38 U.S.C. 5301. Confirm how to report it with a tax preparer familiar with VA benefits.

Learn More

Find personalized help navigating Arkansas caregiver programs at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.