Caregiver Programs in Maine: Paid, Respite & Support

In Maine, family caregivers can be paid for the work they already do. MaineCare can pay a relative to provide in-home personal care, and if the person you care for is a veteran, the VA Aid and Attendance pension pays up to $2,424 a month in 2026.1

If you are caring for an aging parent, a spouse, or an adult child with a disability in Maine, 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.

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

• Maine Caregiver Programs at a Glance
• Which Maine Caregiver Programs Pay Family Members?
• Where Can You Get Free Respite in Maine?
• What If You Are Not on Medicaid or Caring for a Veteran?
• Who Should You Call in Maine?
• What VA Caregiver Benefits Can You Get in Maine?
• How Are Maine Caregiver Wages Taxed?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

Maine Caregiver Programs at a Glance

Which Maine Caregiver Programs Pay Family Members?

Maine's main paid-caregiver pathway runs through MaineCare, the state's Medicaid program. Personal care services under MaineCare Benefits Manual Sections 17, 18, and 19 can, in some cases, pay a family member to be the in-home personal care worker. For adults with an intellectual disability or autism, the Section 21 waiver allows family members to be paid, but only for specified services such as Shared Living and Non-Medical Transportation.2

Who can be the paid worker, and whether a spouse qualifies, depends on the specific program, so confirm your situation with MaineCare Member Services at 1-800-977-6740. You are not negotiating a private wage: you are paid at MaineCare's set rate for personal care, through the program or the self-directed program's fiscal intermediary that manages payroll and taxes. For the current pay rate and the full who-can-be-paid rules, see the Maine paid family caregiver guide.2

One thing to know before you start: the Care Partner Supports program, run through Maine's Area Agencies on Aging, funds respite and supplemental help rather than paying you a direct wage. If a paycheck is what you need, MaineCare personal care is the pathway to ask about first.2

Not everyone is approved on the first try. If MaineCare denies eligibility or the service you asked for, ask MaineCare Member Services how to request a review or a fair hearing before you give up on the pathway.

Where Can You Get Free Respite in Maine?

Caring for someone around the clock wears you down, and stepping away for a few hours or a few days is not a luxury. It is part of what keeps you able to keep going. Maine has more than one way to pay for that break.

The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), funded by Title III-E of the Older Americans Act, flows through Maine's Area Agencies on Aging. It covers in-home respite, adult day vouchers, caregiver training, and counseling, and you do not need to be enrolled in Medicaid to use it. To reach your regional Area Agency on Aging, call Maine's Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) line at 1-877-353-3771, use the national Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116, or dial 211.2,3

If you care for someone with Alzheimer's or a related dementia, Maine adds two more options: the state's Caregiver Respite Program and Respite for ME, which offers grants of up to $2,000 that families can put toward respite and other services existing programs do not cover.5

MaineCare waivers can also authorize respite inside the care plan for someone who qualifies. For the full respite guide, see Respite Care in Maine.

What If You Are Not on Medicaid or Caring for a Veteran?

Some of the best help does not depend on Medicaid or a military connection. NFCSP respite, training, and counseling are open to family caregivers based on your caregiving situation, not your income, and you reach them through the same Area Agency on Aging front door above. Maine's Care Partner Supports program, administered through the five Area Agencies on Aging, also funds respite and supplemental caregiver help for families who are not on a Medicaid waiver. It does not pay you a wage, but it can offset the cost of a break and connect you with local support. Start with the ADRC line at 1-877-353-3771.2,3

Who Should You Call in Maine?

These are the front doors for Maine caregiver programs. Every call is free and carries no obligation; a counselor will identify what is available in your area and help you start an application.

What VA Caregiver Benefits Can You Get in Maine?

Veterans enrolled in VA health care in Maine have access to caregiver support programs that are separate from Medicaid and often more generous.

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. It is federal tax-free and allows paid spouses. To qualify, the veteran needs a service-connected disability rating of 70 percent or higher, a need for in-person personal care for at least six continuous months, and enrollment in VA health care.4

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 per year) in 2026; 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.1

The Maine state veterans agency and county or town Veterans Service Officers help file at no cost. If the VA denies a pension or PCAFC application, you have the right to appeal the decision.

How Are Maine Caregiver Wages Taxed?

Getting paid to care for someone you love raises an obvious worry: how much will you owe back in taxes? For many Maine caregivers, the answer is less than they fear.

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 Maine self-directed caregiving arrangements. Talk to a tax preparer familiar with the rule before filing.

If You File a Maine Return

Maine's income tax starts from your federal adjusted gross income. Because Notice 2014-7 keeps qualifying same-home Medicaid caregiver wages out of that federal figure in the first place, those excluded wages generally do not carry onto your Maine return either. Tax rules change and every family's return is different, so confirm how this applies to you with Maine Revenue Services or a tax preparer before you file.

VA PCAFC Stipend

The PCAFC monthly stipend is federal tax-free and is not reported on a W-2.

Learn More

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.