Caregiver Programs in Ohio (2026): The Complete Directory of Paid-Caregiver, Respite, Dementia, and Support Resources

If you have been awake at 2 a.m. wondering how you are going to keep doing this, you are not alone, and you are not without options. Ohio has built one of the more decentralized but well-funded caregiver-support systems in the country, and most families never see half of what is available to them because nobody told them where to look.

There is help that pays you. Help that gives you a break. Help that walks alongside you when your spouse or parent has dementia and you do not know what to ask next. The hard part is not whether the help exists. The hard part is knowing the right phone number to call and the right name to ask for.

This guide is the map. Every major Ohio caregiver program in 2026, what it actually delivers, who runs it, and which deeper Brevy guide takes you the next step. Read what you need, save what you do not, and call the Ohio Department of Aging statewide line at 1-866-243-5678 when you are ready to talk to a person.

The Ohio caregiver stack in one breath, 2026.

• Six pathways pay family caregivers, PASSPORT consumer direction, Ohio Home Care Waiver, the new MyCare Ohio Waiver, three DODD waivers, three VA programs, and personal services contracts. Spouses can be paid in narrow circumstances under OAC 5160-44-32.
• Ohio has 12 Area Agencies on Aging, each one the front door to non-Medicaid help in its region (Title III-E NFCSP, state-funded dementia respite, options counseling, the Aging and Disability Resource Network).
• Ohio funds state-funded dementia respite through the AAAs, distributed to local Alzheimer's Association chapters. This is in addition to NFCSP and waiver respite.
• Six Alzheimer's Association chapters cover Ohio. National 24/7 helpline 1-800-272-3900.
• Adult Day Services are certified by the Ohio Department of Aging at one of two service levels (Enhanced, Intensive), not licensed by the Department of Health. The statewide directory is AdultDayOhio.org. Rates vary by county and service level.
• 211 is now statewide in Ohio as of April 2026, the first time every county has had access. Dial 211 for caregiver-resource navigation.
• VA caregiver benefits, PCAFC, Veteran-Directed Care, Aid and Attendance, and the VA Caregiver Support Line 1-855-260-3274 route through five Ohio VA Medical Centers.
• Tax notes for 2026, Ohio moved to a flat state income tax effective January 1, 2026. There is no state caregiver tax credit yet, but two bills (HB 279, SB 205) are pending in the 136th General Assembly.

By Brevy Care Team

The 60-second version

If you only have a minute, take these ten facts with you.

1. You probably already qualify for something. Most Ohio caregiver-support programs are not means-tested. Title III-E NFCSP, the state-funded Alzheimer's respite line item, AAA options counseling, and 211 navigation are open to caregivers regardless of income.
2. The right first call is usually your local AAA, not Medicaid, not the hospital, not a private agency. The statewide warm-transfer line 1-866-243-5678 routes you by ZIP code.
3. If the person you care for is on Medicaid or might qualify, the conversation moves to PASSPORT, Ohio Home Care, or MyCare Ohio. All three pay a family caregiver under consumer direction.
4. The new MyCare Ohio Waiver rolled out for dual-eligibles January 1, 2026 in 29 counties; statewide by August 1, 2026. See Next Generation MyCare.
5. Spouses can be paid in Ohio in narrow cases. OAC 5160-44-32 permits spousal employment when no other willing-and-able provider is available.
6. Adult day is the most overlooked respite in Ohio. Ohio Department of Aging-certified centers are covered by every Medicaid waiver; ask your AAA or center for current rates.
7. Dementia families get a stacked respite benefit. Ohio funds state dementia respite through the AAAs, with a portion routed to your local Alzheimer's Association chapter. This stacks on top of NFCSP and waiver respite hours.
8. VA caregivers have their own ecosystem. PCAFC pays a monthly stipend based on geographic locality and tier, Veteran-Directed Care, and the VA Caregiver Support Line 1-855-260-3274.
9. Ohio moved to a flat income tax as of January 1, 2026. The federal IRS Notice 2014-7 difficulty-of-care exclusion flows through automatically, because Ohio AGI starts from federal AGI.
10. There is no Ohio state caregiver tax credit yet. HB 279 and SB 205 are pending in committee as of May 2026. Do not plan around either.

This guide goes deeper on each.

Programs at a glance

Programs that pay family caregivers

For the full walkthrough, eligibility, application steps, hourly rate ranges, the OAC 5160-44-32 spousal rule, and the Next Gen MyCare transition, read How to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in Ohio. The condensed version is below.

PASSPORT consumer direction

PASSPORT is Ohio's flagship home and community-based services waiver for adults 60 and older who would otherwise need a nursing home. It is run by the Ohio Department of Aging through the 12 Area Agencies on Aging. Under consumer direction, the participant hires their own personal care worker, and that worker can be an adult child, sibling, or other family member (not a spouse, except in the narrow circumstances at OAC 5160-44-32). Rates under consumer direction vary by waiver and AAA; verify the current hourly rate with your care manager.

Ohio Home Care Waiver

The Ohio Home Care Waiver is the under-60 analog to PASSPORT, run by the Ohio Department of Medicaid directly. It serves working-age adults and children with nursing-facility level of care who want to stay in their own home. Like PASSPORT, it includes consumer-directed personal care that pays a family caregiver. Care managers are assigned through ODM.

MyCare Ohio Waiver

MyCare Ohio is Ohio's integrated program for adults who are dual-eligible (both Medicare and Medicaid). Beginning January 1, 2026, Ohio rolled out Next Generation MyCare as a Fully Integrated Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plan (FIDE-SNP) structure, with the new MyCare Ohio Waiver replacing the older capitated program. Phase 1 covered 29 counties; statewide coverage by August 1, 2026. The waiver pays family caregivers under the same consumer-direction model used by PASSPORT.

DODD waivers (IO, Level One, SELF)

The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities runs three waivers for adults and children with I/DD: the Individual Options Waiver, the Level One Waiver, and the SELF Waiver. All three pay a family caregiver under Participant-Directed Homemaker Personal Care (PD-HPC). SELF and Level One are budget-capped; IO is uncapped within a cost-neutrality test. Enrollment runs through your County Board of Developmental Disabilities, not the AAA.

VA programs in Ohio

Three federal VA programs pay a family caregiver of a veteran enrolled at one of Ohio's five VA Medical Centers (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Chillicothe). The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers pays a monthly stipend based on geographic locality and tier, plus CHAMPVA health coverage, counseling, respite, and travel benefits. Veteran-Directed Care gives the veteran a monthly budget to hire family caregivers, partnered with the local AAA. VA Aid and Attendance is a pension supplement for wartime veterans who need regular help with activities of daily living. Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 or your local County Veterans Service Commission.

Personal services contracts

If your family member is private pay or planning ahead for Medicaid, a personal services contract is a legal agreement under which you, the family caregiver, are paid an hourly or weekly rate for documented care, with hours tracked, taxes withheld, and a written caregiving agreement that survives Medicaid's five-year look-back review. This is not a program; it is a planning tool used with an elder-law attorney. See How to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in Ohio for the structure and the Ohio Medicaid Estate Recovery implications.

Respite care programs

Respite, a real, planned break that someone else pays for, is the most underused benefit in the Ohio caregiver toolkit. Most families discover respite only when burnout has already happened. Ohio funds respite through at least five distinct payors in 2026, and they stack.

Title III-E NFCSP respite

The National Family Caregiver Support Program, authorized under the Older Americans Act, flows federal Title III-E dollars through ODA to the 12 AAAs. Each AAA sets its own NFCSP voucher policy and respite hours within ODA's allocation. There is no statewide voucher dollar amount; ask your AAA what your county offers in 2026. Eligibility is generally caregivers of adults 60 and older (and a separate stream for grandparents raising grandchildren). No income test.

Ohio Alzheimer's and Dementia Respite line item

This is Ohio's flagship state-funded respite program for dementia caregivers, and most families have never heard of it. Ohio's state budget appropriates funds for Alzheimer's and Other Dementia Respite, distributed to the 12 AAAs, with each AAA required to pass a portion through to its local Alzheimer's Association chapter. Funds cover in-home respite, adult day, family-directed respite, education, support groups, and personal care. It is separate from NFCSP and separate from PASSPORT respite hours; eligible families can stack all three.

PASSPORT, Ohio Home Care, and MyCare respite

Every Ohio Medicaid HCBS waiver includes a respite benefit. PASSPORT and OHCW include a respite benefit; MyCare bundles respite into the FIDE-SNP capitation. Talk to your waiver care manager about authorized days and delivery options.

VA respite, 30+ days per year

The VA provides at least 30 days per calendar year of respite to caregivers of enrolled veterans through three delivery options: in-home respite (a paid worker comes to the home), Community Living Center or VA-contracted nursing facility respite (short inpatient stay), and Adult Day Health Care respite. Call your VA Caregiver Support Coordinator or the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 for current copay information.

Lifespan Respite Care

Ohio has historically been a federal Lifespan Respite Care grant state, with the Ohio Respite Coalition as the historic state lead. Current grant status as of 2026 is being verified; ask your AAA whether a Lifespan Respite voucher is available in your region.

Adult Day Services

Adult day is the most overlooked layer of the Ohio caregiver stack. A daytime program covers six to ten hours of supervised care, meals, activities, social engagement, and (in higher-acuity programs) nursing oversight, and it usually costs less per hour than in-home care.

Regulator and service levels

Adult day in Ohio is certified (not licensed) by the Ohio Department of Aging under Ohio Administrative Code 173-39-02.1, the same chapter that governs all ODA-certified community-based long-term care providers. ODA certifies adult day providers at one of two service levels.

• Enhanced is the social model, supervision, activities, meals, and basic personal care.
• Intensive adds skilled care: medication administration, nursing oversight, and more complex functional needs.

Intensive-certified providers may also deliver enhanced-level service; the reverse is not true. This is the closest Ohio analog to the "adult day health (medical) vs. adult day care (social)" distinction found in other states, but in Ohio it is one regulator at two service levels, not two licenses.

How to find a center

AdultDayOhio.org is a public-facing statewide directory of ODA-certified centers. Use it to find centers in your county, compare services, and read profiles.

Typical 2026 cost

Ohio's adult day private-pay rates vary by county and service level. Contact centers directly for current 2026 pricing. Costs vary by metro; the carescout.com Cost of Care tool publishes MSA breakouts for Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton.

Medicaid coverage

Adult day services are a covered HCBS benefit under PASSPORT (OAC 5160-31), the Ohio Home Care Waiver (OAC 5160-46), the MyCare Ohio Waiver (OAC 5160-58), and DODD's three waivers (which code adult day habilitation and adult day support separately under OAC 5123). For dementia families, the state Alzheimer's respite line item can also pay for adult day, sometimes without a Medicaid eligibility step.

Support, training, and dementia resources

Caregivers of someone with Alzheimer's or another dementia carry a different load. The slow loss, the personality changes, the question of whether to drive, the question of whether to keep your mother at home, all of it adds up. Ohio has built more support around dementia caregiving than any other condition, and most of it is free.

Alzheimer's Association chapters serving Ohio

Six Alzheimer's Association chapters serve Ohio. Each offers free care consultations, support groups, education, the early-stage social engagement program, and care navigation, plus the state dementia-respite vouchers routed through the AAAs.

• Greater Cincinnati Chapter, Southwest Ohio. alz.org/cincinnati
• Miami Valley Chapter, Dayton metro and Miami Valley.
• Central Ohio Chapter, Columbus and central Ohio. 614-457-6003. alz.org/centralohio
• Cleveland Area Chapter, Cleveland to Strongsville, Lorain to Ashtabula. 216-342-5556. alz.org/cleveland
• Greater East Ohio Chapter, Akron-Canton, Summit, Mahoning Valley. alz.org/eastohio
• Northwest Ohio Chapter, Toledo and Northwest Ohio. 419-537-1999. alz.org/nwohio

The national 24/7 helpline is 1-800-272-3900, free, English plus 200+ languages.

Ohio's state dementia infrastructure

The Ohio Department of Aging coordinates dementia policy through three distinct mechanisms.

The Ohio Action Plan on Alzheimer's and Other Dementias, developed by the Ohio Alzheimer's Disease and Dementias Task Force. Priorities include public awareness, access to quality care, dementia-capable workforce, dementia research and data, and funding.

The Alzheimer's and Other Dementia Respite line item, state-funded and distributed through the 12 AAAs with a required pass-through to local Alzheimer's chapters (described above).

The Golden Buckeye Center for Dementia Caregiving at the Ohio State University College of Nursing in Columbus, partnered with ODA on dementia caregiver support. It offers in-person and virtual caregiver programming and dementia training, and partners with AAAs on a dementia-screening and referral tool.

The Ohio Council for Cognitive Health

The Ohio Council for Cognitive Health is the state lead for the Dementia Friends Ohio program, an independent 501(c)(3) headquartered in central Ohio. It runs Dementia Friends training (free, one hour, in-person or virtual) and certifies dementia-friendly communities. Separate from ODA, the Alzheimer's Association, and the Golden Buckeye Center.

Caregiver training

ODA's Caregiver Support Series offers structured training through the 12 AAAs (curriculum names vary, often Powerful Tools for Caregivers, Savvy Caregiver, or REACH II). Free to family caregivers. Ask your AAA which series is running in your region this year.

Regional caregiver networks

• Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio Caregiver Assistance Network (CAN), the regional caregiver-resource program serving Hamilton, Clermont, Butler, Clinton, and Warren counties. Since 1996. CAREline: 513-869-4483. Support groups, respite, Powerful Tools for Caregivers, 1:1 resource consultation.
• Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland (JFSA) runs Caring at Home, a Medicaid-certified and private-pay in-home care program.
• JFS Columbus and JFS Cincinnati both offer aging and caregiver services in their metros.
• Disability Rights Ohio is the statewide protection-and-advocacy organization for adults and children with disabilities, useful for DODD waiver navigation.
• Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging (Cleveland) is a long-running research and direct-service organization focused on dementia care.

Your local Area Agency on Aging

Ohio's twelve Area Agencies on Aging are the operational core of the non-Medicaid caregiver-support system. Each AAA is also the Aging and Disability Resource Network lead in its multi-county region, the front door to long-term services and supports across federal funding streams, with options counseling, benefits screening, NFCSP, the state dementia respite line item, OSHIIP Medicare counseling, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman, and warm hand-off to PASSPORT enrollment. If you do not know where to start, start here.

Statewide warm-transfer line: 1-866-243-5678 (ODA routes by ZIP). General ODA line: 1-800-266-4346.

How to use an AAA when you are first starting out

1. Call. The intake specialist will take basic information and ask what is going on. There is no eligibility filter to make this call. If you start with the statewide line, you will be routed to the AAA serving your loved one's county.
2. Ask for an options-counseling appointment. This is a one-on-one conversation where the AAA walks through every program your family might qualify for, Medicaid waivers, NFCSP, state dementia respite, OSHIIP Medicare counseling, food assistance, transportation, and faith-based or nonprofit help. It is free.
3. Ask specifically about respite and the Alzheimer's line item if dementia is in the picture. These funds run through the AAAs, but you will not always be told about them unless you ask.
4. If a Medicaid application is the right next step, the AAA's ADRN intake specialist can warm-transfer you to the County Department of Job and Family Services and to PASSPORT enrollment in one call.

VA caregiver benefits in Ohio

Ohio has five VA Medical Centers: Louis Stokes Cleveland VAMC, Cincinnati VAMC, Chalmers P. Wylie Columbus VAMC, Dayton VAMC, and Chillicothe VAMC. Caregivers of veterans enrolled at any of these systems can access three federal VA programs.

Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC)

PCAFC is the most generous federal caregiver benefit in the country. 2026 monthly stipends for Tier 1 and Tier 2 vary by geographic locality and tier; contact your VA Caregiver Support Coordinator for the current Ohio rate. The program also includes CHAMPVA health coverage, mental health counseling, respite, and travel benefits. Eligibility (post-PACT Act, all eras): veteran with 70%+ service-connected disability, in need of 6+ months of in-person personal care, and an in-home eligible family caregiver.

VA Veteran-Directed Care (VDC)

VDC is the VA's consumer-direction program, run in partnership with the local AAA. The veteran receives a monthly budget to hire family caregivers (spouses generally excluded), purchase supplies, and arrange respite. Cincinnati VAMC partners with Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio; Dayton VAMC partners with AAA PSA 2; Cleveland VAMC partners with Western Reserve AAA. Ask your VAMC social worker.

VA Aid and Attendance

Aid and Attendance is a pension supplement (not a stipend) paid directly to the veteran or surviving spouse to help cover the cost of care. Net worth limit $163,699 applies; confirm current 2026 Maximum Annual Pension Rates at VA.gov. Apply through your County Veterans Service Commission, every Ohio county has one, never pay a "pension consultant."

Ohio Department of Veterans Services and Ohio Veterans Homes

The Ohio Department of Veterans Services coordinates state-level veteran benefits and operates two Ohio Veterans Homes (Sandusky and Georgetown) with skilled nursing and domiciliary beds for Ohio-resident veterans. State benefits include emergency financial assistance through the County Veterans Service Commission and the Veterans Bonus program.

VA Caregiver Support Line

The federal VA Caregiver Support Line is 1-855-260-3274, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Each VAMC also has a Caregiver Support Coordinator who is the right local point of contact for PCAFC applications and VDC enrollment.

Pending Ohio legislation

Two caregiver-specific bills are pending in the 136th General Assembly as of May 2026. Neither has been enacted; do not plan around either, but watch the 2026 session.

HB 279 / SB 205, Family Caregiver Tax Credit

A non-refundable Ohio state income tax credit for qualifying caregiving expenses. Eligibility criteria, expense categories, and credit amounts are defined in each bill.

• HB 279 is in House Ways and Means Committee.
• SB 205 is in Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Both bills are pending as of May 2026 and have not been enacted.

Estate recovery reform

HB 318 proposes changes to Ohio Medicaid Estate Recovery, including notice requirements and limits on the property subject to recovery. It is pending in committee. Estate recovery is the post-death claim Ohio Medicaid can file against the estate of a Medicaid recipient who received long-term care services after age 55. If you are using a personal services contract to pay yourself as a family caregiver, estate recovery is the back-end risk to plan around with an elder-law attorney.

What Ohio has NOT enacted

The 136th General Assembly has not passed or introduced a comprehensive paid-family-caregiver expansion analogous to Tennessee's Public Chapter 182 of 2025. Ohio's paid-spouse pathway remains the narrower conditional rule at OAC 5160-44-32. Ohio also has no state-paid family medical leave statute.

A quick note on taxes

Two tax facts shape what your caregiver compensation actually looks like at the end of the year.

Ohio moved to a flat income tax, effective January 1, 2026

Ohio transitioned to a flat state income tax structure in 2026. For caregivers paid as W-2 employees through a fiscal management service, Ohio income tax withholding will reflect the flat rate starting with the 2026 tax year. Confirm the current rate and bracket details at the Ohio Department of Taxation or with a tax preparer familiar with Ohio law.

IRS Notice 2014-7 difficulty-of-care exclusion still flows through

Ohio is a federal AGI conformity state, IT-1040 starts from federal adjusted gross income, then applies Ohio adjustments. Because IRS Notice 2014-7 excludes qualified Medicaid waiver payments to live-in caregivers from federal gross income, those payments never enter federal AGI in the first place, and they never enter Ohio AGI either. No additional Ohio adjustment is required.

This is a meaningful tax break for live-in family caregivers paid through PASSPORT, OHCW, MyCare, or DODD waivers, but only if the federal conditions are met: the caregiver lives in the recipient's home, and the payments are qualified Medicaid waiver payments under IRC §131. Consult a tax preparer familiar with Medicaid waiver caregiver compensation before relying on the exclusion; the IRS guidance has nuances around shared homes versus the recipient's home.

No Ohio state caregiver tax credit yet

The pending HB 279 and SB 205 would create a non-refundable Ohio state income tax credit for qualifying caregiving expenses, but as of May 2026 neither bill has been enacted. Ohio does not currently offer a state-level caregiver tax credit. The federal Credit for Caring Act (also pending in Congress) is the federal counterpart.

Common misconceptions

A few things families consistently get wrong about Ohio caregiver programs.

"Medicare covers long-term care." Medicare covers a defined set of post-acute services: up to 100 days of skilled nursing facility care after a qualifying three-day hospital stay, and intermittent home health for homebound beneficiaries who need skilled care. It does not cover ongoing personal care, custodial nursing-home stays, or paid family caregiving. Medicaid does.

"My loved one has too much income for Medicaid." Ohio uses a Qualified Income Trust (Miller Trust) for applicants whose income exceeds the 300% SSI cap ($2,982 per month in 2026). Income above the cap goes into the trust and is not counted. Talk to your AAA or an elder-law attorney.

"You cannot pay a spouse in Ohio." Mostly true, but the narrow exception at OAC 5160-44-32 permits spousal employment as a caregiver when no other willing-and-able provider is available, with agency or FMS employment.

"The ADRN has its own phone number." Ohio's Aging and Disability Resource Network is decentralized through the 12 AAAs. There is no single statewide ADRN line distinct from 1-866-243-5678 (ODA's caregiver-support line) or your local AAA's intake number.

"Adult day care is just babysitting." ODA-certified adult day at the Intensive level provides medication administration and nursing oversight; many programs run dementia-specific curricula. It is one of the most effective ways to keep a person at home longer.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get paid to care for my parent in Ohio?

Yes, through several pathways. The most common are PASSPORT (if your parent is 60+ and Medicaid-eligible), the Ohio Home Care Waiver (if under 60), or MyCare Ohio (if dual-eligible for Medicare and Medicaid). All three pay an adult child under consumer direction. Rates vary by waiver and AAA; verify the current rate with your care manager. Apply through your local AAA at 1-866-243-5678.

Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Ohio?

In narrow circumstances, yes. OAC 5160-44-32 permits a spouse to be hired as a paid caregiver under PASSPORT, OHCW, and MyCare when no other willing-and-able provider is available, with agency or fiscal-management-service employment. This is narrower than Tennessee's rule, but it is a real path. Talk to your AAA care manager about whether you qualify.

Where do I start if my mom has dementia and I do not know what to do next?

Two calls. First, your local Alzheimer's Association chapter (start at the national 24/7 helpline 1-800-272-3900 and ask to be connected to your Ohio chapter). They will set up a free care consultation. Second, your local AAA at 1-866-243-5678 to ask about the state Alzheimer's and Dementia Respite line item, adult day options, and PASSPORT eligibility if Medicaid is on the table. You do not need to choose between these two calls; make both.

How is the Aging and Disability Resource Network different from the AAA?

In Ohio, they are functionally the same. ODA has designated each of the 12 AAAs as the lead agency for the federal Aging and Disability Resource Network (ADRN) in its multi-county region. The ADRN is Ohio's name for its ACL No Wrong Door system, a one-stop entry point that screens you for any long-term services and supports across federal funding streams, Medicaid, Older Americans Act, Veterans, and state-funded. You access the ADRN by calling your AAA.

Does Ohio have a caregiver tax credit?

Not yet. HB 279 and SB 205 would create a non-refundable Ohio caregiver tax credit for qualifying caregiving expenses, but both remain in Ways and Means Committee as of May 2026. Do not plan around either; watch for legislative action.

Can I stack VA benefits with Ohio Medicaid programs?

Yes, with care. Aid and Attendance is income for Medicaid eligibility (counted toward the 300% SSI cap), but PCAFC stipends and VDC budgets are not Medicaid-counted. A veteran enrolled in both VA and Ohio Medicaid (PASSPORT or OHCW) can use VDC for some hours and waiver consumer direction for others, with the care managers coordinating. The right person to walk through stacking is your VAMC Caregiver Support Coordinator plus your AAA care manager.

Is there a single phone number that gives me access to everything?

Two numbers cover most of it.

• 1-866-243-5678, ODA caregiver-support line / statewide AAA warm-transfer.
• 211, Ohio's statewide community-resource navigator, now covering all 88 counties as of April 2026.

For dementia, add 1-800-272-3900 (Alzheimer's Association national 24/7). For VA, add 1-855-260-3274 (VA Caregiver Support Line).

How do I find caregiver support groups near me?

Three good starting points. Your local Alzheimer's Association chapter runs in-person and virtual support groups (one for caregivers in early disease, one for advanced disease, sometimes a separate group for spouses and adult children). Your local AAA can connect you to NFCSP-funded groups and the Catholic Charities Caregiver Assistance Network if you are in Southwest Ohio. The OSU Golden Buckeye Center for Dementia Caregiving runs virtual programming statewide.

Learn more

• How to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in Ohio, the deep walkthrough of all six paid-caregiver pathways, the OAC 5160-44-32 spouse rule, the Next Gen MyCare transition, and personal services contracts.
• Ohio Medicaid, eligibility, application process, and the three HCBS waivers.
• Next Generation MyCare, the 2026 FIDE-SNP rollout for Ohio dual-eligibles.
• HCBS Waiver Glossary, what the §1915(c) authority actually does.
• Nursing-Facility Level of Care, the functional bar all Ohio waivers use.

Useful phone numbers, all in one place

• 1-866-243-5678, Ohio Department of Aging caregiver-support / AAA warm-transfer
• 1-800-266-4346, ODA general line
• 211, statewide community-resource navigation (now all 88 Ohio counties)
• 1-800-282-1206, Ohio Long-Term Care Ombudsman
• 1-800-272-3900, Alzheimer's Association national 24/7 helpline
• 1-855-260-3274, VA Caregiver Support Line
• 1-844-538-4636, OSHIIP Ohio Medicare counseling
• 513-869-4483, Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio CAREline

Need help figuring out your next step?

Caregiving in Ohio rarely fits inside one program. Most families use three or four payors at once, PASSPORT or NFCSP for the daily hours, the state Alzheimer's respite line item for the dementia overlay, VA for the veteran in the family, and a personal services contract on the side for the planning piece. The combination depends on who needs care, what their income looks like, and what county you live in.

Polaris, our on-site chatbot, can walk you through the Ohio caregiver stack in plain English, free, no signup. Ask anything: who qualifies, what to call first, how to layer respite, or how to think about the tax piece. Your conversation is private to your family.

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

This guide was last verified on May 11, 2026. Ohio caregiver programs, AAA contact information, waiver rules, and state appropriations change. We re-verify this guide annually and after any major legislative or regulatory change. Information here is general; for advice specific to your family's situation, talk with your local AAA, your county Job and Family Services office, your VAMC Caregiver Support Coordinator, or an Ohio-licensed elder-law attorney.