All Caregiver Support Services

    Montana · Caregiver Support

    Caregiver Support Services in Montana

    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 Montana 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 Montana

    Montana ADRC — Aging and Disability Resource Centers

    One call connects Montana family caregivers to free counseling, respite, training, and support groups through their local Area Agency on Aging.

    Montana ADRC — Aging and Disability Resource Centers

    Free

    Statewide — 10 Area Agencies on Aging covering all 56 counties

    Montana's single point of entry for caregivers. Free information, referrals, and connection to all caregiver services statewide. Also operates Montana's SHIP program. TCARE assessment tool now offered to personalize caregiver support.

    No wrong door — call 800-551-3191 to reach your local AAA. TCARE program helps caregivers manage stress and prevent burnout with personalized plans

    800-551-3191Visit website

    Alzheimer's Association Montana Chapter — 24/7 Helpline

    Free

    Statewide — Billings HQ serving all 56 Montana counties

    Around the clock emotional support, crisis assistance, and care consultations for dementia caregivers. Montana Chapter serves all 56 counties. 22,000+ Montanans living with Alzheimer's; 60,000+ caregivers statewide.

    Chapter: 406-252-5809. Montana's vast geography makes virtual options especially important — chapter provides both in-person and virtual support

    800-272-3900Visit website

    Montana DPHHS — Family Caregiver Support Program

    Free

    Statewide — through 10 Area Agencies on Aging

    Information, counseling, training, and respite for caregivers of adults 60+ or any age with Alzheimer's. Montana DPHHS Division of Senior and Long Term Care administers caregiver services through AAA network.

    Contact your local AAA at 800-551-3191 — services and availability vary by region across Montana's large geography

    800-551-3191Visit website

    988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

    Free

    Statewide

    Free 24/7 confidential emotional support for caregivers experiencing burnout, distress, or crisis. Available by call or text. Montana's geographic isolation can intensify caregiver stress and loneliness.

    Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — call or text

    988Visit website

    211 Montana

    Free

    Statewide

    Free connection to local health and human services including emotional support and caregiver resource referrals across all 56 Montana counties. Available by phone and online.

    Call 211 or visit montana211.org — critical for caregivers in remote Montana communities

    211Visit website

    Montana Lifespan Respite Coalition

    Free

    Statewide

    Statewide coalition working to expand access to respite services for Montana caregivers of all ages. Connects families with resources, training, and advocacy. Coordinates a Respite Voucher Program for caregivers with limited resources.

    Respite Voucher Program helps caregivers afford community-based respite care — contact AAA at 800-551-3191 for current voucher availability

    800-551-3191Visit website

    Montana Alzheimer's Disease Respite Program

    Free

    Statewide — through 10 Area Agencies on Aging

    State-funded respite specifically for caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Contact local AAA for current respite care services for Alzheimer's caregivers in your region.

    Contact local AAA at 800-551-3191 — Alzheimer's respite availability varies by region

    800-551-3191Visit website

    Montana Family Caregiver Support Program — Respite

    Free

    Statewide — through 10 Area Agencies on Aging

    Temporary respite care for family caregivers of adults 60+ or any age with Alzheimer's through Montana's AAA network. In-home and adult day care options available statewide.

    Contact Senior and Long Term Care at 800-551-3191 — respite availability varies significantly across Montana's remote regions

    800-551-3191Visit website

    National Respite Locator

    Free

    Statewide — search by Montana zip code

    Searchable database of nearly 3,000 respite providers. Search by Montana zip code to find local respite options. Especially important for rural Montana caregivers where local options are limited.

    Run by ARCH National Respite Network — Montana is a member of the ARCH state network

    See websiteVisit website

    VA Caregiver Support Program — Respite

    Free

    Statewide — Veterans only

    At least 30 days annual respite for caregivers of eligible veterans enrolled in VA healthcare. Montana VA Health Care System (Fort Harrison/Helena) and community clinics serve Montana veterans.

    Must be caring for veteran enrolled in VA healthcare — Montana VA: 406-442-6410. Montana has significant rural veteran population

    855-260-3274Visit website

    Alzheimer's Association Montana — Education Programs

    Free

    Statewide — in person and virtual

    Free education programs for dementia caregivers across all 56 Montana counties. ALZ Talks webinars, Savvy Caregiver workshops, care consultations, and in-person programs. Virtual options critical for Montana's vast distances.

    Virtual options available statewide — essential for caregivers in remote Montana communities hours from any chapter office

    800-272-3900Visit website

    Powerful Tools for Caregivers — Montana Classes

    Free

    Statewide — MSU Extension offices statewide

    Research-based caregiver education through Montana State University Extension. Powerful Tools for Caregivers workshops, in-community respite retreats, and caregiver resources. Partners with DPHHS, AARP, and Alzheimer's Association.

    MSU Extension reaches remote Montana communities — Powerful Tools for Caregivers offered in communities statewide including rural areas

    406-994-4371Visit website

    TCARE — Tailored Caregiver Assessment and Referral

    Free

    Statewide — through 10 Area Agencies on Aging

    New Montana program using TCARE assessment tool to provide personalized caregiver support plans. Caregivers receive customized recommendations for respite, counseling, or local programs based on their specific stress levels and needs.

    New 2025 offering through Montana's AAA network — contact Tessa Bailly at DPHHS (406-444-6061) or call AAA at 800-551-3191

    800-551-3191Visit website

    Montana Senior and Long Term Care — Caregiver Training

    Free

    Statewide — through 10 AAAs

    Caregiver training and education through Montana's AAA network. Covers dementia care, stress management, and navigating Big Sky Waiver and CFCS programs. Training adapted for Montana's rural and remote communities.

    Contact local AAA — Montana's State Plan on Aging guides caregiver support priorities statewide

    800-551-3191Visit website

    Family Caregiver Alliance — Online Resources

    Free

    National — available to all Montana caregivers

    Comprehensive caregiver education library including fact sheets, online programs, and Montana-specific resource directory. Especially valuable for Montana caregivers in remote areas without local in-person options.

    No registration required — online resources accessible from anywhere in Montana

    800-445-8106Visit website

    AARP Montana Caregiver Resource Center

    Free

    Statewide

    Free caregiver tools, guides, and education. AARP Montana partners with MSU Extension and DPHHS on caregiver initiatives. 160,000+ Montana caregivers providing care to family members statewide.

    AARP membership not required — print guide available by calling 877-333-5885

    866-295-7278Visit website

    Montana CFCS/PCS — Self-Directed Paid Caregiver

    Free

    Statewide

    Montana's Medicaid program (formerly CFC/PAS, renaming to CFCS/PCS through end of 2025) allowing adults with disabilities to hire family members as paid personal care attendants. Adult children and relatives eligible; spouses and parents not eligible. Entitlement — no waiting list.

    No waiting list — entitlement program. Apply through Montana Public Assistance Helpline at 888-706-1535. Note: Program being renamed CFCS/PCS through end of 2025

    888-706-1535Visit website

    Montana Big Sky Waiver — Caregiver Support

    Free

    Statewide

    Medicaid HCBS waiver providing home and community-based services including respite care, adult day services, and personal care for eligible adults. Helps caregivers keep loved ones at home.

    Contact Montana Medicaid at 800-362-8312 — waiting list may apply unlike CFC/PAS entitlement program

    800-362-8312Visit website

    VA Caregiver Stipend — PCAFC Program

    Free

    Statewide — Veterans only

    Monthly stipend for caregivers of eligible veterans with 70%+ service-connected disability. Also includes CHAMPVA health insurance. VA legacy cohort protected through September 2028.

    Must be caring for veteran with 70%+ service-connected disability rating

    855-260-3274Visit website

    National Family Caregiver Support Program — Montana

    Free

    Statewide — through 10 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 grants also available.

    Contact AAA at 800-551-3191 — no income limits for Older Americans Act programs in Montana

    800-551-3191Visit website

    Alzheimer's Association Montana — Support Groups

    Free

    Statewide — in person and virtual

    Free caregiver support groups throughout Montana from Billings to Missoula to Great Falls. Virtual groups essential for caregivers in remote areas. ALZConnected online community available 24/7.

    Call helpline or visit website to find group by zip code — virtual options bridge Montana's vast geography

    800-272-3900Visit website

    Montana AAA Network — Caregiver Support Groups

    Free

    Statewide — 10 regional AAAs

    Caregiver support groups through Montana's 10 Area Agencies on Aging covering all 56 counties. Groups for general caregiving and specific diagnoses. Availability varies by region.

    Contact your local AAA — groups may be limited in remote areas; virtual options increasingly available

    800-551-3191Visit website

    Montana Independent Living Centers — Peer Support

    Free

    Statewide — 7 independent living centers across Montana

    Peer counseling and support through Montana's statewide independent living center network. Caregivers of people with disabilities can connect with peers who have navigated similar situations.

    7 centers serve Montana statewide — Summit Independent Living (Missoula): 800-398-9002 | LIFE (Lewistown): 800-669-6319

    877-296-1197Visit website

    AARP Family Caregivers Discussion Group

    Free

    National — available to all Montana caregivers

    Free online peer community of 25,000+ caregivers active 24/7. Especially valuable for Montana caregivers in remote areas where local groups are unavailable or require long travel.

    AARP membership not required — virtual peer support bridges Montana's geographic isolation

    877-333-5885Visit website

    Frequently Asked Questions — Montana Caregivers

    Honest answers to what Montana family caregivers ask most.

    Most free caregiver help in Montana flows through Montana ADRC — Aging and Disability Resource Centers, which works hand-in-hand with the Montana Senior and Long-Term Care Division (SLTC) and the local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) network. Call 800-551-3191 to be connected to your county's AAA or Aging and Disability Resource Center — they provide free caregiver counseling, support groups, respite vouchers, and caregiver education statewide.

    In many cases, yes. The primary pathway is Big Sky Waiver (BSW) and Community First Choice. Montana's CFC and Big Sky Waiver self-direction options let qualifying Medicaid members hire family (other than a spouse) as paid personal-care workers. The care recipient must meet Montana Medicaid's financial and functional eligibility rules. To apply or confirm what's currently available, call 800-551-3191 and ask specifically about Medicaid self-direction or consumer-directed personal-care services.

    Free or low-cost respite in Montana comes from three main places: (1) Montana ADRC — Aging and Disability Resource Centers and your local Area Agency on Aging, which can issue respite vouchers under the National Family Caregiver Support Program — call 800-551-3191; (2) the VA Caregiver Support Program (1-855-260-3274) for caregivers of enrolled veterans; and (3) the ARCH National Respite Locator at archrespite.org, which lists licensed Montana respite providers by ZIP code.

    Montana veteran caregivers can access two main VA programs. The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) pays a monthly stipend of roughly $1,750–$3,200 for caregivers of post-9/11 and (now expanded) earlier-era veterans with a 70%+ service-connected disability who need help with daily activities. The Program of General Caregiver Support Services offers free training, peer mentoring, and REACH VA stress coaching for caregivers of any era veteran enrolled in VA healthcare. Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 or visit caregiver.va.gov to apply.

    Yes. The Alzheimer's Association Montana Chapter runs in-person and virtual support groups across the state and operates a free 24/7 helpline at 800-272-3900 in English and Spanish. Local Area Agencies on Aging also coordinate dementia-specific groups through Montana's family caregiver support program — Montana ADRC — Aging and Disability Resource Centers can refer you. For broader caregiver support groups (not dementia-specific), the Family Caregiver Alliance and Well Spouse Association also serve Montana families online.

    Montana Legal Services Association is the main free civil legal aid resource for income-eligible Montana residents. They can help with advance directives, financial and healthcare powers of attorney, guardianship questions, Medicare and Medicaid appeals, and consumer or housing problems facing aging adults. Montana State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program provides separate free advocacy specifically for residents (and their families) in Montana nursing homes, assisted living, and other long-term care settings. Many Montana bar associations also run lawyer-referral services with reduced rates for caregivers and seniors.

    988 is the free, confidential 24/7 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline available to anyone in the U.S., including Montana family caregivers who feel overwhelmed, isolated, hopeless, or in emotional distress. Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. For non-crisis support — finding food, transportation, rent help, or caregiver respite — dial 211 to reach a Montana-trained United Way navigator who can route you to local programs.

    Montana's Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) and Area Agency on Aging (AAA) network is the single point of entry for county-level caregiver services. Call 800-551-3191 and you'll be routed to the ADRC or AAA serving your county. They handle benefits screening, options counseling, and direct connections to counseling, respite, training, transportation, and financial-help programs. Montana Senior and Long-Term Care Division (SLTC) oversees the network statewide and can also help if a local office is hard to reach.

    Sources & references

    Verified July 2026

    Save these Montana resources to your free care plan

    Your care plan keeps every Montana 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.