Page Reviewed / Updated – October 19, 2020

Program Description

The Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Grant Program provides in-home respite care grants for primary caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease or a related dementia. Respite care allows caregivers a break from their caregiving duties to run errands or simply to relax and decompress. Via this program, there are three levels of respite care grants available. Year-Long, Mid-Length, and Short-Term Relief.

This nationwide program is a joint collaboration between non-profit organization Hilarity for Charity and the national home care franchise Home Instead Senior Care.

Eligibility Guidelines

In order for U.S. residents to be eligible for the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Grant Program, the individual requiring care must be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease or a related dementia, such as Vascular dementia, Dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson’s, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

The individual with dementia must live at home or in the home of a loved one (not in a nursing home or assisted living residence). Their primary caregiver does not necessarily need to live with them, but in most cases, that is the living situation.

While the financial status of the individual and their caregiver is considered an eligibility factor, there are no specific set income thresholds that determine if one is eligible. In addition to financial need, emotional need, and ability to access other supportive services are considered for eligibility purposes.

One’s age, marital status, and / or veteran’s status are not considered when determining one’s eligibility.

It is worth noting that this program is also open to Canadian residents. But different eligibility criteria and application processes exist. As this website is intended only for US residents, those details are not covered here.

Benefits and Services

There are three levels of respite care grants available: Year-Long, Mid-Length, and Short-Term Relief. Individuals who are granted Year-Long grants receive 25 hours of respite care / week for 52 weeks. Those granted Mid-Length grants receive 15 hours of respite care / week for 52 weeks. And those granted Short-Term relief grants receive a one-time grant of 25 hours, which can be used in increments until the 25 hour max has been reached. 

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How to Apply / Learn More

One can learn more about the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Grant Program and / or apply online here. Applications are reviewed four times a year on a quarterly basis.