Philadelphia Corporation for Aging Caregiver Support Program

Who This Works For

You’ve been your mom’s primary caregiver for two years. You’ve used your vacation days, cut your hours at work, and haven’t slept more than five hours a night in months. You don’t know if respite care exists in Philadelphia, what it costs, or if anyone can help you pay for it. Or you’re a grandparent raising your grandchild and caring for an aging parent at the same time. You need help figuring out what services exist and how to access them.

PCA’s Caregiver Support Program is for unpaid family caregivers in Philadelphia who are supporting an older adult, someone with dementia, a person with a disability, or a relative child. This is a starting point when caregiving feels overwhelming and you don’t know where to turn.

Before You Call

Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, or “PCA”, is Philadelphia County’s Area Agency on Aging. They connect families with aging-related programs, support, and community resources.

This is not a home care agency. PCA doesn’t send someone to your home to provide direct care. Instead, they help you as the caregiver. They offer education, counseling, benefits counseling, care management, respite-related help, referrals, and possibly financial reimbursement for approved caregiving expenses.

If you’re not sure whether the Caregiver Support Program is the right fit, start by calling the PCA Helpline. That’s still a useful first step.

The care receiver must live in Philadelphia County. There’s no financial eligibility requirement to join the program, but reimbursement amounts depend on the care receiver’s income and household size using a sliding scale.

What They Offer

Information and referral to aging-related services and community resources. Caregiver education and training. Care consultation. Care management. Support groups for caregivers. Benefits counseling to help you understand what programs your loved one may qualify for. Help accessing respite care.

Financial reimbursement for certain approved out-of-pocket caregiving costs. This may include respite care, supplies, home modifications, assistive devices, and services for grandparents or older relative caregivers raising children.

A Caregiver Navigation Program that provides tailored information, personalized care consultation, trainings, workshops, and educational resources specific to your situation.

Eligibility and Reimbursement

You may be eligible if you’re an unpaid primary caregiver of an adult age 60 and older, a caregiver of a person with dementia at any age, or an older relative age 55 and older raising children as the primary caregiver in your home. The person you care for must live in Philadelphia County.

There’s no financial eligibility requirement to participate. However, reimbursement for expenses is based on a sliding scale tied to the care receiver’s gross income and household size.

Important: reimbursement is not automatic. A care manager needs to complete an assessment, determine eligibility, and help create a plan before expenses can be approved.

Service Area

PCA serves Philadelphia County only. If you’re outside Philadelphia County, contact your local Area Agency on Aging.

Questions to Ask

Am I eligible as an unpaid primary caregiver?

Does the person I care for need to live in Philadelphia County?

Does this program help caregivers of people with dementia?

What respite options are actually available through the program?

Can I get caregiver education, training, counseling, or join support groups?

What caregiving expenses might qualify for reimbursement?

Do I need to get expenses approved before I pay for them, or after?

How is reimbursement calculated based on income?

What documents should I gather before applying?

If I don’t qualify for reimbursement, can the program still help with other services?

If I’m not eligible overall, what other PCA programs or community resources should I contact?

Why This Listing Is Here

PCA’s Caregiver Support Program may be one of the most important starting points for unpaid family caregivers in Philadelphia. You need more than a phone number list. You need someone to help you understand respite, benefits, reimbursement, caregiver education, dementia support, care planning, and what’s realistic for your specific situation.

Call PCA directly to confirm current eligibility rules, available services, reimbursement requirements, caregiver navigation options, wait times, what documents you need, and whether this program fits your caregiving situation.

Last reviewed: July 2026

Information changes. Contact Philadelphia Corporation for Aging directly to confirm current services, eligibility, reimbursement rules, application steps, and availability.