About 459,000 Texans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's, and 1.1 million family members care for them. If you are one of them, Texas has more support than you may realize.
Dementia caregiving is its own kind of hard: the long arc, the behavioral changes, the safety worries, the grief that starts before any loss. This guide maps the Texas-specific help available in 2026, from the free 24/7 helpline to Medicaid respite to the programs that can pay you for the care you already provide.
You do not have to navigate this alone, and you do not have to fund all of it from your savings.
Texas Dementia Caregiving, by the Numbers
The scale of dementia caregiving in Texas is enormous and growing. About 459,000 Texans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's disease. Roughly 1.1 million family and other unpaid caregivers provide an estimated 1.6 billion hours of unpaid care each year, valued at about $20.2 billion. Alzheimer's is the sixth-leading cause of death in the state, and Alzheimer's deaths have risen more than 180 percent since 2000.
If the work feels overwhelming, that is not a personal failing. It is the reality of a condition that demands more, for longer, than almost any other.
Where to Start
When a diagnosis lands, or when caregiving starts to outpace what you can manage alone, two phone calls open most doors in Texas:
- The Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline: 1-800-272-3900. Staffed around the clock, it offers confidential emotional support, crisis assistance, dementia-specific guidance, and referrals to local Texas programs, in more than 200 languages. There is no cost and no eligibility test.
- Your local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) or Area Agency on Aging (AAA). Texas has 28 AAAs and a statewide ADRC network that help you understand what Medicare and Medicaid cover, connect you to respite, and provide caregiver counseling and training.
Texas's Dementia Support Infrastructure
The Alzheimer's Association and Alzheimer's Texas
The Alzheimer's Association operates several Texas chapters: North Central Texas, Dallas and Northeast Texas, Houston and Southeast Texas, Capital of Texas (Austin), and San Antonio and South Texas. Each runs support groups, education programs, and care consultations. Separately, Alzheimer's Texas, an independent organization that has served Central Texas since 1982, provides information, referrals, and support programs.
Texas DSHS Alzheimer's Disease Program
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) runs an Alzheimer's Disease program with caregiver education, resource guides, and links to local services. It is a useful starting point for understanding the landscape of state and community resources.
Area Agencies on Aging, ADRCs, and Take Time Texas
Texas's 28 Area Agencies on Aging, administered under Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC), are the front door for most non-Medicaid caregiver support: individual counseling, support groups, training, and respite, funded in part through the federal National Family Caregiver Support Program. The state's Take Time Texas portal helps you find local respite providers. ADRCs round this out by connecting families to the full menu of Medicare, Medicaid, and community services.
DPRIT: Texas's Dementia Research Investment
In November 2024, Texas voters approved Proposition 14, creating the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT) with a $3 billion investment, the largest state-funded dementia research initiative in the nation. While DPRIT is a research institute rather than a direct caregiver service, it signals a long-term state commitment to dementia and may expand clinical-trial and treatment access for Texas families over time.
Who Pays for Dementia Care in Texas
Texas Medicaid (STAR+PLUS)
For Texans who qualify, Medicaid STAR+PLUS is the main vehicle for in-home dementia care. Its Home and Community Based Services help people who would otherwise need nursing-home care stay at home, and they can include personal care, adult day services, and respite to give the family caregiver a break. Eligibility is income- and asset-tested and requires a nursing-facility level of care. Respite hours are arranged through the member's STAR+PLUS service coordinator.
Getting Paid to Care for a Loved One With Dementia
Many Texas dementia caregivers can be paid for the care they provide, through Medicaid self-direction or, for veterans' families, VA programs. The pathways, who can be hired, and the pay are covered in detail in the Texas paid family caregiver guide.
VA Benefits (for Veterans)
If the person you care for is a veteran enrolled in VA health care, the VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) pays a tax-free monthly stipend to the primary family caregiver, including a spouse, and the Aid and Attendance pension can help pay for dementia care. Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274.
Medicare
Medicare covers dementia-related doctor visits, a cognitive assessment, and limited short-term skilled home health and hospice, but it does not pay for long-term custodial care or for a family caregiver's time. The new GUIDE Model, where available, adds dementia care navigation and some respite for traditional-Medicare beneficiaries; ask your neurologist or the Alzheimer's Association helpline whether a GUIDE provider operates near you.
Respite for Dementia Caregivers
Respite is not optional for dementia caregivers; it is what makes the long haul survivable. In Texas, respite comes from several places: STAR+PLUS for Medicaid-eligible members, the National Family Caregiver Support Program through your AAA (free, no income test), adult day programs, and the Take Time Texas respite locator. For the full picture, see Respite Care in Texas.
A few days a week at a dementia-capable adult day program often does double duty: it gives you reliable hours back, and the structure, activity, and social contact frequently improve sleep, mood, and behavior for the person with dementia.
Safety, Behavior, and Planning
Dementia raises issues that other caregiving does not: wandering, driving, sundowning, and the legal and financial planning that needs to happen while your loved one can still participate. The Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline (1-800-272-3900) can walk you through behavioral strategies and connect you to local resources, and the Alzheimer's Association offers a wandering-response and safety program. Early legal planning, a durable power of attorney, advance directives, and a long-term-care plan, is far easier done sooner than later.
Caring for a loved one with dementia in Texas? Chat with Brevy's care navigator for a personalized plan covering respite, paid-caregiver options, and the Texas programs that fit your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Call the Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900 for free confidential guidance and local referrals, and contact your local Area Agency on Aging or ADRC to learn what Medicare and Medicaid cover and to access respite.
Yes, for those who qualify. STAR+PLUS Home and Community Based Services fund in-home personal care, adult day services, and respite for people who meet a nursing-facility level of care and Medicaid's financial limits. Respite is arranged through the STAR+PLUS service coordinator.
Often, yes, through Texas Medicaid self-direction or, for veterans' families, VA programs. The specifics are in the Texas paid family caregiver guide.
Yes. The Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline is free, and the National Family Caregiver Support Program provides free respite, counseling, and training through Texas's 28 Area Agencies on Aging, with no income test for respite.
The Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT) is a $3 billion state-funded dementia research institute created when Texas voters approved Proposition 14 in 2024, the largest state-funded dementia research initiative in the nation. It funds research rather than direct caregiver services.
Learn More
- Understanding the Stages of Dementia: What to Expect
- Managing Dementia Behaviors: Agitation, Aggression, and Sundowning
- Communicating With Someone Who Has Dementia
- Daily Care for Someone With Dementia: Bathing, Dressing, and Eating
- Dementia, Wandering, and Home Safety
- Late-Stage and End-of-Life Dementia Care
- How to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in Texas
- Respite Care in Texas
- Caregiver Programs in Texas: A Complete Directory
- Caregiver Burnout: Signs, Stages, and How to Get Support
- Medicaid Planning Strategies
Find personalized help caring for a loved one with dementia in Texas 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.