By Stacey Savarese, RN, BSN, BSW, CCM
Most family caregivers do not wake up one morning and decide to become caregivers. It happens a little at a time.
At first, you pick up a prescription or drive your parent to an appointment. Then you start organizing the medications, calling doctors, handling insurance paperwork, and checking in every night. Before long, you are the person everyone calls when something goes wrong.
I have seen families reach this point without realizing that help may be available for the caregiver, too. They know their loved one may qualify for services, but no one has explained respite, caregiver training, support groups, or programs that may help with certain caregiving expenses.
Caregiver support can mean many different things. It may be a care manager who helps you sort through the options. It may be someone staying with your loved one while you go to work or get some sleep. It may be an adult day program, a dementia caregiver group, help understanding benefits, or simply having a knowledgeable person tell you what to do first.
The best place to start depends on what is wearing you down right now.
Quick Answer: Where Should a Philadelphia Caregiver Start?
For many unpaid family caregivers in Philadelphia, a good first call is the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA) Caregiver Support Program at 215-995-4372.
PCA can explain the program, ask about your caregiving situation, and help determine whether an assessment or other support may be appropriate. Depending on eligibility and current program availability, help may include care planning, education, referrals, respite-related assistance, benefits counseling, or possible reimbursement for certain approved caregiving expenses.
If you are unsure which PCA program you need, call the PCA Helpline at 215-765-9040.
Before you call, take a minute and finish this sentence:
“The part I cannot keep doing by myself is…”
Maybe it is bathing. Maybe your mother cannot be left alone. Maybe your father has dialysis three mornings a week and you are running out of time off. Maybe you have not slept through the night in months.
Tell them that part first. A specific problem gives the person on the phone something real to work with.
You can also read our local listing for the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging Caregiver Support Program before calling.
What Kind of Support Would Actually Help?
When families hear “caregiver support,” they often think only of a support group. A group can be helpful, but talking is not the same as having someone cover Tuesday afternoon while you go to your own doctor.
Think about what would make the coming week more manageable:
- Care navigation: You need someone to help you understand programs, benefits, and which calls should come first.
- Respite care: You need another qualified person to stay with or assist your loved one while you rest, work, attend an appointment, or simply leave the house.
- Adult day services: Your loved one needs daytime supervision, meals, activities, personal care, or other structured support.
- Help at home: You need an aide for bathing, dressing, meals, companionship, errands, or other daily needs.
- Education and training: You are being asked to manage a new diagnosis, behavior, mobility problem, or care task and do not feel prepared.
- Emotional support: You need to talk with people who understand the kind of caregiving you are doing.
- Financial guidance: You need to know whether a program, benefit, or reimbursement could help with the cost.
It is common to need more than one of these. A support group may help you feel less alone, while respite gives you the time to keep going. A care manager may help you find both.
If everything feels urgent and you do not know which category to choose, begin with Get Help Finding Senior Care Resources in Philadelphia.
How PCA’s Caregiver Support Program May Help
PCA is Philadelphia County’s Area Agency on Aging. Its Caregiver Support Program serves eligible unpaid caregivers who have primary responsibility for someone who needs regular assistance.
According to PCA’s current Caregiver Support Program information, available help may include:
- An assessment of the caregiver’s needs and goals
- An individualized support plan
- Care management and follow-up
- Caregiver education and training
- Information and referrals
- Benefits counseling
- Help locating services such as respite, adult day care, and home health aides
- Possible financial reimbursement for certain approved services, supplies, assistive devices, or home modifications
PCA states that the caregiver must provide routine assistance and have primary responsibility for the care recipient’s well-being. The person receiving care may be age 60 or older, an adult with a disability, or a person of any age with dementia. The person must also need help with at least one activity of daily living.
There is an important difference between joining the program and receiving reimbursement. Reimbursement is not automatic. It may depend on an assessment, an approved plan, household income, available funding, and whether an expense qualifies under current rules.
Before paying for a major service, medical supply, assistive device, or home modification, ask whether it must be approved first. Also ask what receipts or other documents you will need.
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging Caregiver Support Program operates through local Area Agencies on Aging. Philadelphia residents go through PCA. If your loved one lives outside Philadelphia County, contact the Area Agency on Aging for that county.
What can I say when I call PCA?
You do not need to know the program language. You can say:
“I am my mother’s primary unpaid caregiver, and she lives in Philadelphia. She needs help with bathing, medications, and supervision. I am missing work and do not have dependable backup. I would like to ask about the Caregiver Support Program and whether we can be assessed for respite or other help.”
That is enough to begin. You have explained who you care for, what help is needed, and why the current plan is not holding up.
Respite Care Is Part of the Care Plan
Respite care is temporary supervision or assistance that allows the primary caregiver to step away. It can take place at home, at an adult day center, or sometimes in a short-term residential setting.
Some caregivers feel guilty even asking about it. But needing a break does not mean you are failing your loved one. It means the care plan currently depends too heavily on one person.
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s respite-care guidance recommends contacting your local Area Agency on Aging and explains that respite opportunities may be available to caregivers enrolled in the Caregiver Support Program.
Before arranging respite, ask:
- What does my loved one need help with while I am away?
- Can the worker safely manage transfers, incontinence, memory loss, wandering, or difficult behaviors?
- Is the care provided at home, at a center, or somewhere else?
- Is there a minimum number of hours?
- How far ahead do we need to schedule?
- What happens if the assigned worker calls out?
- What will it cost?
- Does PCA or another program need to approve the service before it begins?
If help in the home seems like the best fit, our Home Care in Philadelphia guide explains what non-medical home care does, how it differs from skilled home health, and what to ask before hiring an agency.
When Adult Day Services May Be a Better Fit
Adult day services can provide a safe place for someone who should not be alone during the day. Depending on the center, services may include supervision, meals, social activities, personal care, nursing services, and some therapies.
For a working caregiver, a dependable daytime program can create a predictable stretch of time. For the older adult, it can provide routine, activity, meals, and contact with other people.
PCA describes adult day centers as non-residential programs that may offer personal care, nursing, social services, therapeutic activities, meals, and, at some locations, rehabilitation therapies.
The phrase “adult day” does not tell you whether a particular center can meet your loved one’s needs. Ask about mobility, toileting, medications, memory changes, communication, and behaviors. Ask who is on-site and what happens if the person’s condition changes during the day.
Transportation matters, too. Even a wonderful program will not work if no one can reliably get your loved one there and home. Our guide to transportation options for older adults in Philadelphia explains SEPTA Access, Shared-Ride, insurance-based rides, and private options.
If your loved one is mostly independent and needs meals, activities, and social connection rather than close supervision, a senior center may fit better. Our guide to free and low-cost senior centers in Philadelphia can help you compare the options.
Finding a Support Group That Feels Relevant
A support group cannot send an aide to the house or fix an insurance problem. What it can give you is a room, virtual or in person, where you do not have to explain every part of the situation before people understand why you are tired.
Look for a group that matches your experience as closely as possible:
- Adult children caring for parents
- Spouses caring for partners
- Families caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia
- Families supporting someone with a serious mental health condition
- Working caregivers
- Former caregivers living with grief after a death
For dementia-related support, start with the Alzheimer’s Association Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter. The Association’s Delaware Valley support-group page includes local and virtual options and recommends confirming the details before attending because schedules can change.
Caregivers whose loved one is a Penn Memory Center patient can also ask about Penn Memory Center caregiver support groups. Some groups are organized around the caregiver’s relationship or a particular dementia diagnosis.
If you are supporting someone with a serious mental health condition, the NAMI Philadelphia Family Support Group may be more relevant than a general aging group.
Before joining, ask whether the group is accepting new members, who it is meant for, who facilitates it, whether registration is required, and whether meetings are virtual or in person. Some healthcare-based groups require the person receiving care to be a patient of that organization.
Burnout Usually Means the Workload Has to Change
Caregiver burnout is not fixed by telling someone to take a bath, think positively, or buy a better planner.
When one person is managing bathing, medications, transportation, paperwork, appointments, family updates, and nighttime worry, the problem is not a lack of organization. There is simply too much sitting on one person’s shoulders.
Burnout can look like irritability, dread, poor sleep, trouble concentrating, withdrawing from other people, missing your own medical care, or feeling certain that everything will fall apart if you step away.
Our guide to the signs of caregiver burnout may help you put words around what has been happening. The Caregiver Burnout Triage Checklist can then help you identify one task to hand off first.
If you are experiencing severe emotional distress, thoughts of harming yourself or someone else, or an immediate safety crisis, call or text 988. If someone is in immediate danger or needs emergency medical care, call 911. A support group or caregiver program is not an emergency service.
A Note for Working Caregivers
Many working caregivers keep the situation private until missed calls, appointments, and exhaustion begin affecting the job. If that is happening, start by identifying the actual conflict.
Is it frequent daytime appointments? Calls from home? A parent who cannot be left alone in the morning? Dialysis three days a week? No backup when an aide cancels?
Then separate the tasks that truly require you from those that another relative, home care aide, transportation provider, adult day program, or care manager might handle.
You do not have to share every medical detail with your employer. If you need information about leave, schedule changes, or workplace benefits, contact the appropriate human-resources representative and confirm the rules that apply to your job. This website does not provide employment or legal advice.
Build a Plan That Does Not Depend on One Person
Do not try to solve the next five years tonight. Look at the next seven days.
1. Write down what you actually do
Include meals, medications, bathing, toileting, transfers, transportation, phone calls, paperwork, companionship, supervision, overnight needs, and household chores. Caregiving often looks manageable only because much of the work has never been written down.
2. Mark the tasks that require training or physical assistance
Wound care, injections, clinical assessment, and some medication needs may require skilled healthcare. Bathing, dressing, meals, companionship, and errands may fit non-medical home care. One worker or agency may not provide both.
3. Deal with the highest-risk gaps first
Falls, unsafe transfers, wandering, medication errors, missed treatments, lack of food, and leaving a vulnerable person alone should move to the top of the list.
4. Ask for something specific
“Let me know if you need anything” sounds kind, but it does not create a plan. Try: “Can you stay with Dad every Tuesday from 5 to 7 while I shop and go to my appointment?”
5. Decide what happens when Plan A fails
One aide, one relative, or one transportation company is not a backup plan. Ask what happens when that person is sick, unavailable, or late.
If caregiving began after a sudden change, read What to Do First When an Aging Parent Suddenly Needs Help for a broader starting plan. If the change followed a hospital stay, use the guide for when a parent cannot safely go home alone.
What to Have Nearby When You Call
You do not need a perfect folder before asking for help. A few notes can make the conversation easier:
- Your name and relationship to the person receiving care
- The care recipient’s age and Philadelphia address
- Diagnoses that affect everyday care, especially dementia or disability
- The daily activities that now require help
- Current services, insurance, and benefits
- The days or times when coverage is most difficult
- Recent hospital stays or major changes
- The effect caregiving is having on your work, health, sleep, or safety
- Caregiving expenses and receipts if you plan to ask about reimbursement
- One immediate goal, such as arranging two afternoons of respite each month
Do not submit detailed private medical information through a general website form. Ask the program how it securely collects information for an assessment.
Questions Worth Asking Any Caregiver Program
- Who qualifies for this program?
- Does the person receiving care need to live in Philadelphia County?
- Is there an assessment, application, or waiting list?
- Do you provide the service directly or refer families elsewhere?
- What respite options are currently available?
- Are there fees, income guidelines, or sliding-scale costs?
- Can any approved caregiving expenses be reimbursed?
- Must an expense be approved before I pay for it?
- Do you offer training, counseling, or caregiver support groups?
- Who should I call if our needs change?
Programs, funding, eligibility, fees, and schedules can change. Confirm current details directly before making care or financial decisions.
Three Steps You Can Take Today
If you are too overwhelmed to tackle a long list, do only these three things:
- Name the hardest recurring task. Write down when it happens and what kind of help would make it safer.
- Call PCA. Contact the Caregiver Support Program at 215-995-4372 or the PCA Helpline at 215-765-9040 and ask what the assessment process looks like.
- Choose one backup path. Browse the Senior Services Directory for caregiver support, home care, transportation, senior centers, and meal resources. You can also use our Tools and Resources page to organize what needs attention first.
You do not need to solve everything today. The first goal is to identify the part of the plan most likely to fall apart and place one more person, program, or service beside it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is caregiver support in Philadelphia free?
Some helplines, educational programs, and support groups are free. Services such as in-home respite or adult day care may have fees. Eligible caregivers may qualify for financial assistance or reimbursement, but approval is not automatic. Confirm current costs, eligibility, and funding directly with PCA or the provider.
Can PCA pay a family caregiver?
PCA may reimburse eligible caregivers for certain approved caregiving services or expenses. This is not the same as a guaranteed caregiver salary. An assessment, care plan, income-based calculation, documentation, and advance approval may apply. Ask PCA what is currently available for your situation.
What is the difference between respite and home care?
Respite describes the reason for the service: giving the primary caregiver temporary relief. Home care is one type of service that may provide personal care, companionship, meals, or household assistance. A home care aide may provide respite, but respite can also happen through an adult day center or another approved setting.
Do I have to be related to the person I care for?
Eligibility rules vary. PCA focuses on caregivers who provide routine assistance and have primary responsibility for the care recipient’s well-being. Call PCA to confirm whether your relationship, caregiving role, and living arrangement meet current program requirements.
Where can dementia caregivers find support in Philadelphia?
PCA’s Caregiver Support Program, the Alzheimer’s Association Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter, and caregiver programs connected to local memory centers are good starting points. Ask whether a group is accepting members and whether the care recipient must be a patient of that organization.
What if I am already burned out and cannot wait?
When you call, say clearly that the situation is urgent and describe the specific safety concern. While formal help is being arranged, ask relatives or trusted contacts for one concrete block of coverage. Call 911 for immediate danger or urgent medical needs. Call or text 988 for a mental health or emotional crisis.
Related Philadelphia Caregiver Guides
- Transportation options for older adults in Philadelphia
- What to do when a parent cannot safely go home alone after a hospital stay
- Meal programs for older adults in Philadelphia
- Free and low-cost senior services in Philadelphia
Medical and Informational Disclaimer
The Caregivers Directory provides general caregiver education and resource information. It does not provide medical diagnosis or treatment, emergency services, legal or employment advice, insurance decisions, financial advice, or guaranteed provider matching. Programs, eligibility, fees, reimbursement, insurance participation, and service areas can change. Contact agencies, programs, employers, insurers, and providers directly to confirm current information before making care or financial decisions. Call 911 if someone may be in immediate danger or needs urgent medical help.
Last reviewed: September 2026
