Louisiana · Caregiver Support
Caring for an aging loved one is one of the hardest jobs there is — and you shouldn't have to do it alone. Below are 29 verified Louisiana programs offering emotional support, respite, training, financial help, peer groups, and legal planning — most of them completely free.
Last updated July 2026
Start here in Louisiana
Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care — ADRC
One call connects Louisiana family caregivers to free counseling, respite, training, and support groups through their local Area Agency on Aging.
Statewide — through Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs and 9 regional AAAs
Louisiana's primary caregiver entry point. Free information, referrals, and options counseling for older adults, adults with disabilities, and their caregivers statewide. Connect to Community Choices Waiver, respite, and all state programs.
Call 877-456-1146 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm — TTY: 7-1-1. No wrong door for all Louisiana caregiver services
Statewide — Metairie HQ with staff serving all 64 parishes
Around the clock emotional support, crisis assistance, and care consultations for dementia caregivers. Louisiana Chapter serves all 64 parishes. 90,000+ Louisiana families impacted by Alzheimer's in 2025.
Louisiana Chapter: 504-468-8844. New state Alzheimer's and Related Dementia Council established by SB46 in 2024
Statewide — 9 regional Area Agencies on Aging
State agency overseeing services for older Louisianans and their caregivers through 9 regional AAAs. Caregiver support programs, information, counseling, and connection to all state aging services.
GOEA oversees Louisiana's Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and all Area Agency on Aging caregiver services
Statewide
Free 24/7 confidential emotional support for caregivers experiencing burnout, distress, or crisis. Available by call or text. Louisiana has high rates of caregiver stress particularly in rural and post-disaster communities.
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — call or text
Statewide
Free 24/7 connection to local health and human services including emotional support, crisis intervention, and caregiver resource referrals across all 64 Louisiana parishes.
Call or text 211 anytime — also available online at www.louisiana211.org/
Statewide
Medicaid waiver providing caregiver respite as a covered service for CCW-enrolled individuals. Allows primary caregivers scheduled breaks while licensed respite providers care for their loved ones. Access through Louisiana Options.
Care recipient must be enrolled in CCW — call Louisiana Options at 877-456-1146 to apply
Statewide — through 9 Area Agencies on Aging
Temporary respite relief for family caregivers of adults 60+ or any age with Alzheimer's through Louisiana's nine AAAs. In-home and adult day care respite options available. Also includes kinship caregiver respite.
Contact your regional AAA through GOEA — respite availability and amounts vary by parish and region
Statewide — licensed ADHC centers across Louisiana
Medicaid-funded adult day health care providing supervised care, meals, and activities during the day while caregivers work or rest. Centers provide nursing, personal care, medication management, and therapy services.
Medicaid eligibility required — call Louisiana Options to find licensed ADHC centers near you
Statewide — search by Louisiana zip code
Searchable database of nearly 3,000 respite providers. Search by Louisiana zip code or parish to find local and regional respite options beyond state programs.
Run by ARCH National Respite Network
Statewide — Veterans only
At least 30 days annual respite for caregivers of eligible veterans enrolled in VA healthcare. Southeast Louisiana VA Medical Center (New Orleans) and Alexandria VA Medical Center serve Louisiana veterans.
Must be caring for veteran enrolled in VA healthcare — New Orleans VAMC: 504-523-5000
Statewide — in person and virtual
Free education programs for dementia caregivers across all 64 Louisiana parishes. ALZ Talks webinars, Savvy Caregiver workshops, care consultations, and in-person programs. New state Alzheimer's Council active in 2025.
Virtual options available statewide — call helpline or visit website for current Louisiana schedule
Statewide — LSU AgCenter offices in all 64 parishes
Evidence-based caregiver education through LSU AgCenter's statewide extension network. Powerful Tools for Caregivers workshops, aging-in-place resources, and family financial planning tools available in all parishes.
LSU AgCenter Extension in all 64 Louisiana parishes — rural caregiver access statewide including coastal and Delta communities
New Orleans metro — online resources statewide
Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and School of Social Work provide dementia caregiver research, education, and community programs serving Louisiana families.
New Orleans area focus — research-based resources available online statewide
Statewide — through 9 Area Agencies on Aging
Caregiver training covering skills, stress management, and navigating long-term care. Evidence-based programs offered through Louisiana's nine Area Agencies on Aging including Savvy Caregiver and other curricula.
Contact your regional AAA through GOEA for current training schedule — programs vary by region
National — available to all Louisiana caregivers
Comprehensive caregiver education library including fact sheets, online programs, and Louisiana-specific resource directory. Especially valuable for rural and coastal Louisiana caregivers.
No registration required for most online resources — accessible statewide
Statewide
Free caregiver tools, guides, and education. AARP Care Guide, financial worksheets, and Louisiana-specific resource connections. Louisiana passed CARE Act requiring hospital caregiver notification and training.
AARP membership not required for most resources — print guide available by calling 877-333-5885
Statewide
Louisiana's paid caregiver program. Family members including spouses and adult children can be paid up to $1,350-$1,800/month through MIHC under the Community Choices Waiver. Caregiver must live with care recipient. Income limit $2,982/month effective January 2026.
Waiting list may exist — call Louisiana Options at 877-456-1146 to begin eligibility process. Spouses explicitly allowed under MIHC
Statewide
Non-Medicaid state program providing personal assistance services to adults with significant disabilities. Administered through the Arc of Louisiana. Some family members can be paid as personal assistants.
Contact Arc of Louisiana at 866-966-6260 to determine eligibility — income and disability criteria apply
Statewide — Veterans only
Monthly stipend for caregivers of eligible veterans with 70%+ service-connected disability. Also includes CHAMPVA health insurance. Louisiana has significant veteran population particularly in Baton Rouge and Shreveport regions.
Must be caring for veteran with 70%+ service-connected disability rating
Statewide — through 9 Area Agencies on Aging
Federal program providing information, counseling, training, respite, and supplemental services to family caregivers of adults 60+ or any age with Alzheimer's. Grandparent kinship caregiver services also available.
Contact GOEA or your regional AAA — no income limits for Older Americans Act programs
Statewide — in person and virtual
Free caregiver support groups throughout Louisiana from New Orleans to Baton Rouge to Shreveport. All 64 parishes served. ALZConnected online community available 24/7 for rural and coastal parish caregivers.
Call helpline or visit website to find group by zip code or parish — virtual options available statewide
Statewide — 9 regional AAAs
Caregiver support groups through Louisiana's nine Area Agencies on Aging covering all 64 parishes. Groups for general caregiving and specific diagnoses including Alzheimer's and dementia.
Contact GOEA at 225-342-7100 to find your regional AAA and local support groups
Statewide
Resource and support organization for grandparents and other relatives raising children across Louisiana. Support groups, information, and peer connection for kinship caregivers statewide.
Louisiana-specific kinship caregiver support — free resources and peer connection statewide
National — available to all Louisiana caregivers
Free online peer community of 25,000+ caregivers active 24/7. Especially valuable for Louisiana caregivers in rural parishes or coastal communities where local in-person groups may not be available.
AARP membership not required — virtual peer support bridges Louisiana's geographic and cultural diversity
Southeast Louisiana — New Orleans metro and surrounding parishes
Free civil legal services to low-income Louisianans including elder law, advance directives, powers of attorney, Medicaid planning, and housing issues. Elder Law Project serves adults 60+ throughout the region.
Income eligibility requirements apply — adults 60+ receive priority for elder law matters. North Louisiana: Acadiana Legal Service 337-237-4320
Statewide — through GOEA and 9 Area Agencies on Aging
Free, unbiased Medicare counseling for Louisiana beneficiaries and their caregivers. SHINE counselors help navigate Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and Part D drug plans statewide.
Unbiased — not affiliated with insurance industry. Call GOEA to find a local SHINE counselor near you
Statewide — through GOEA and 9 regional AAAs
Free advocacy for caregivers with concerns about nursing home, assisted living, or personal care home quality. Investigates complaints and protects residents' rights across all 64 Louisiana parishes.
Toll-free statewide 866-632-0922. Also accessible through Disability Rights Louisiana's Community Living Ombudsman program
Statewide — offices in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette
Free legal advocacy for Louisianans with disabilities and their caregivers. Formerly the Advocacy Center. Federally designated Protection and Advocacy agency covering disability rights, nursing home rights, and Community Living Ombudsman.
New Orleans: 504-522-2337 | Baton Rouge: 225-925-6935. Free legal services for people with disabilities and caregivers
Statewide
Connects Louisiana caregivers to elder law attorneys for advance directives, powers of attorney, tutorship (Louisiana's guardianship equivalent), interdiction, and Medicaid planning.
Initial 30-minute consultation at reduced fee — Louisiana uses unique civil law terms (tutorship/interdiction) instead of common law terms. Contact LSBA for current referral process
Honest answers to what Louisiana family caregivers ask most.
Your care plan keeps every Louisiana caregiver resource — phone numbers, eligibility, and next steps — in one calm, organized place.
Always free — no credit card required.
Source: LTCareNav.com research, updated on July 2026. Programs, phone numbers, and eligibility rules change frequently — please verify contact information directly with each organization before referral. This page is informational and not legal, medical, or financial advice.