Availability is not activation
There is no shortage of caregiver resources. Penn LDI's 2026 review of the caregiver crisis reached a blunt conclusion: we already know what helps (coaching, support programs, and care coordination), we just do not scale it. The gap is delivery, not knowledge.1
You can see the same pattern inside a benefits stack. Employee Assistance Programs almost all include an eldercare referral module, yet average EAP utilization sits in the low single digits.2 The resource is there; almost no one activates it. So the useful question for HR is not only "what can we offer?" but "what will an overloaded employee actually use, and who works the list once they have it?"
That is the lens for the directory below. The resources are real and worth using. They are sorted by who can actually use each one, because a program that only helps employees in one state is not something you can lean on org-wide, and a national resource is.
What HR can point any employee to, regardless of state
These national resources work no matter where an employee's parent lives, so they are the safest set for a distributed workforce. All are free.
National information and referral line that connects families to local aging services and their Area Agency on Aging.
800-677-1116 · eldercare.acl.gov
Free, confidential referral line to local health and human services: housing, food, utilities, health care, and more.
Dial 211 · 211.org
A network of 600+ local agencies that coordinate caregiver support, nutrition, in-home help, and supportive services for older adults.
800-677-1116 · usaging.org/findyouraaa
National caregiver nonprofit with a helpline, education, an online dashboard (CareNav), and a state-by-state services locator.
800-445-8106 · caregiver.org
National nonprofit with a free Caregiver Help Desk and the Family Caregiver Toolbox of resources for family caregivers.
855-227-3640 · caregiveraction.org
A national online directory to help families find local respite care providers; ARCH does not provide the respite itself.
Local programs are organized by metro on our service-areas directory; point an employee to the page for the city where their parent lives.
The full directory, sorted by who can use each resource
Grouped from most broadly available to most gated: national resources any resident can use, then federal programs with eligibility rules, then representative state programs, then tools an employer can deploy. Each row lists what the resource is, who can use it, whether it is national, the cost, and how to reach it.
National, any US resident can use
These work no matter where an employee's parent lives, so they are the safest set to recommend across a multi-state workforce. All are free unless noted.
| Resource | What it is | Who can use it | National? | Cost | How to access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eldercare Locator USAging, funded by the U.S. Administration for Community Living | National information and referral line that connects families to local aging services and their Area Agency on Aging. | National | Yes | Free |
800-677-1116 eldercare.acl.gov |
| 211 (United Way) United Way Worldwide and 200+ local 211 agencies | Free, confidential referral line to local health and human services: housing, food, utilities, health care, and more. | National | Yes | Free |
Dial 211 211.org |
| Area Agencies on Aging (AAA network) Local agencies under the Older Americans Act; national association USAging | A network of 600+ local agencies that coordinate caregiver support, nutrition, in-home help, and supportive services for older adults. | National (local delivery) | Yes | Varies by program (many core services free or low-cost) |
800-677-1116 usaging.org/findyouraaa |
| Family Caregiver Alliance (Family Care Navigator) Family Caregiver Alliance, National Center on Caregiving | National caregiver nonprofit with a helpline, education, an online dashboard (CareNav), and a state-by-state services locator. | National | Yes | Free |
800-445-8106 caregiver.org |
| Caregiver Action Network (Help Desk and Toolbox) Caregiver Action Network | National nonprofit with a free Caregiver Help Desk and the Family Caregiver Toolbox of resources for family caregivers. | National | Yes | Free |
855-227-3640 caregiveraction.org |
| ARCH National Respite Locator ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center (ACL-funded) | A national online directory to help families find local respite care providers; ARCH does not provide the respite itself. | National (locator); respite is local | Yes | Free to search; respite services vary in cost | archrespite.org/respitelocator |
| Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline Alzheimer's Association (partly ACL-funded) | Free 24/7 helpline offering information, referrals, care planning, and support for dementia caregivers and families. | National (dementia focus) | Yes | Free |
800-272-3900 alz.org |
| Parkinson's Foundation Helpline Parkinson's Foundation | Free helpline staffed by specialists for questions on Parkinson's care, daily living, caregiving, and local referrals. | National (Parkinson's focus) | Yes | Free |
800-473-4636 parkinson.org |
| CancerCare CancerCare (national nonprofit) | Free professional support from oncology social workers: counseling, support groups, resource navigation, and limited financial help for anyone affected by cancer. | National (cancer focus); counseling NY and NJ | Yes | Free (financial aid is limited and criteria-based) |
800-813-4673 cancercare.org |
| Well Spouse Association Well Spouse Association (nonprofit) | National peer-support membership for people caring for a chronically ill or disabled spouse or partner; groups, a 24/7 forum, and respite events. | National (spousal caregivers) | Yes | Paid ($39/year membership) |
732-577-8899 wellspouse.org |
Federal programs (eligibility-gated)
Real support, but with rules. Only the National Family Caregiver Support Program is broadly self-serve; the rest are gated by diagnosis, income, veteran status, or your state.
| Resource | What it is | Who can use it | National? | Cost | How to access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) Administration for Community Living; delivered via State Units on Aging and local AAAs | A federal program that funds local caregiver supports: information, counseling, training, respite, and limited supplemental services. | National, via local AAA | Yes | Free or low-cost |
800-677-1116 acl.gov |
| Medicare GUIDE Model (dementia) CMS Innovation Center | A Medicare payment model where participating practices provide dementia care navigation, caregiver support, and a respite benefit. | Dementia, traditional Medicare, via a participating practice | No | Free to patients and caregivers for model services (respite up to $2,500/year) | cms.gov |
| Medicaid HCBS waivers and paid family caregiver paths State Medicaid agencies, under federal Medicaid | State Medicaid programs that fund in-home and community services; many allow self-direction, which in some states can pay a family caregiver. (eligibility varies; verify directly) | Income and state gated (varies by state) | No | Free or low-cost to eligible enrollees | medicaid.gov |
| VA Caregiver Support Program U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | Support for family caregivers of eligible Veterans: education and counseling, plus a comprehensive track (PCAFC) that can include a monthly stipend. | Veterans and their family caregivers | No | Free to participate; PCAFC may include a monthly stipend |
855-260-3274 caregiver.va.gov |
| Lifespan Respite Care Program Administration for Community Living; technical assistance via ARCH | A federal program that funds state respite systems for caregivers of people of all ages; it funds state systems rather than paying caregivers. | State-resident (states with an active grant) | No | Varies by state program | acl.gov |
State programs (resident-gated), representative examples
These are examples, not a full list; nearly every state runs an equivalent through its aging department. Check the program in the state where your employee's parent lives.
| Resource | What it is | Who can use it | National? | Cost | How to access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PA CareKit and PA Link Pennsylvania Department of Aging | An interactive online caregiver toolkit with worksheets and a needs quiz; PA Link is the state's referral helpline. | Pennsylvania residents | No | Free |
800-753-8827 pa.gov/CareKit |
| California Caregiver Resource Centers Association of California Caregiver Resource Centers; administered by the California Department of Aging | A statewide network of 11 regional centers offering counseling, assessment, education, and referrals to family caregivers. | California residents | No | Free or low-cost | caregivercalifornia.org |
| Massachusetts Family Caregiver Support Program MA Executive Office of Aging and Independence, via Aging Services Access Points | Connects caregivers with a Caregiver Specialist for a free care plan, counseling, training, support groups, and respite referrals. | Massachusetts residents | No | Free |
800-243-4636 mass.gov |
| WA Cares Fund Washington State | A state public long-term-care insurance benefit funded by worker payroll premiums; eligible workers can draw a lifetime benefit for care services. | Washington workers (contribution-based) | No | Funded by a 0.58% payroll premium; benefit up to $36,500 lifetime (2026) |
844-227-3492 wacaresfund.wa.gov |
| State family-caregiver tax credits Individual state legislatures and revenue departments | A small but growing set of states offer a state income tax credit that reimburses part of a caregiver's documented out-of-pocket costs. (eligibility varies; verify directly) | State-resident taxpayers (varies; often income-limited) | No | Reduces state tax owed; most are nonrefundable and capped | AARP scorecard |
Employer-deployable (what HR can stand up)
Free, independent tools HR can adapt or point to directly, plus the leave and account levers already in your control. The honest caveat: deploying a resource and getting it used are different jobs. This directory lists public, government, and nonprofit resources only; paid EAPs and other paid caregiving-platform vendors are discussed in the analysis above, not listed here.
| Resource | What it is | Who can use it | National? | Cost | How to access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHRM Foundation, Supporting Working Caregivers SHRM Foundation | A free, employer-facing initiative with research, guides, and toolkits to help HR support employees who are caregivers. | National (for any employer) | Yes | Free | shrm.org |
| Massachusetts Employer Toolkit to Support Working Caregivers MA Executive Office of Aging and Independence, with the MA Caregiver Coalition | A deploy-it-yourself employer toolkit with best practices, sample employee questionnaires, and case studies; usable as a template anywhere. (eligibility varies; verify directly) | National (template; the MA links inside are state-specific) | Yes | Free | mass.gov |
| Wisconsin HR CareKit (WFACSA) Wisconsin Family and Caregiver Support Alliance; hub maintained by the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources | A free, employer-facing resource guide (PDF) with strategies, data, and stories to help HR attract, support, and retain working caregivers; usable as a template anywhere. | National (template; the WI resources inside are state-specific) | Yes | Free | wisconsincaregiver.org |
| Paid family/caregiver leave and Lifestyle Spending Accounts State PFML programs and employer-designed LSAs | Two levers: state paid-family-leave wage replacement for eligible workers, and employer LSAs that can name caregiving as an eligible expense. (eligibility varies; verify directly) | State-resident (PFML) and employer-defined (LSA) | No | PFML funded by payroll contributions; LSAs employer-funded | state PFML tracker |
What you can deploy as an employer
Most of the resources above are things an employee has to find and work themselves. A smaller set is built for HR to stand up directly: free, independent employer toolkits you can adapt regardless of where employees live (the SHRM Foundation and state HR toolkits), plus the leave, paid-family-leave, and lifestyle-spending-account levers already in your control. These are listed in the "employer-deployable" group above.
A note on what is not in this directory: we deliberately leave out paid Employee Assistance Programs and other paid caregiving-platform vendors. This is a resource guide, not a vendor list, so it points to independent public, government, and nonprofit help. The one honest caveat that runs through everything here is that deploying a resource and getting it used are different jobs. Toolkits inform and equip the employee; they do not remove the administrative coordination load, which is the whole reason utilization stays low before you add another underused line to the benefits page.
Where the coordination layer fits
A quick definition, because the words matter here. Care logistics are the administrative tasks that surround care: scheduling and rescheduling, referral follow-up, portal and paperwork management, records requests, benefits questions, and the written updates that keep a family aligned. A Care Continuity Partner is a non-clinical assistant who does that administrative coordination at the family's direction. The family stays the decision-maker, and medical decisions stay with clinicians.
The public and nonprofit resources in this directory are strongest at the inform-and-refer layer: they tell an employee where to look and what to ask. The layer none of them cover is execution, the actually-working-the-list part that bleeds into an employee's workday. Averyn Keystone is where an employer can add that execution layer alongside the resources here, without replacing what already works.