Dementia Caregiver Resources in Maryland

Maryland's Family Caregiver Support Program

The Maryland Department of Aging administers the Family Caregiver Support Program through local Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) across the state's 24 jurisdictions. The program serves adult family members caring for individuals aged 60 or older, or individuals of any age diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia.

The program provides four categories of support:

Information and assistance — help navigating community resources, connecting with local support groups, and identifying available respite providers in your county.

Caregiver training — evidence-based sessions covering behavioral management techniques for dementia (responding to agitation, redirecting repetitive questions, de-escalating aggression), safe physical transfer methods, and medication management strategies.

Respite care grants — short-term, periodic funding that can help pay for substitute care so the primary caregiver can take a break. The grant amount and eligible service types vary by county and funding availability.

Respite Care Ambassador Program — a statewide initiative that trains advocates across the Departments of Aging, Health, and Disabilities. These ambassadors help families understand how to access regional respite vouchers — a step many caregivers miss because the voucher systems differ by county.

Access point: contact your local Area Agency on Aging or call Maryland Access Point at 1-844-627-5465 to request a referral. Services and grant availability are administered locally, so ask the Area Agency on Aging about eligibility for the support you need.

Cognitive Assessment Tools the State Provides

Maryland promotes two screening tools that caregivers can ask about:

AD:8 Dementia Assessment Tool — a validated 8-question screening instrument used by Maryland Access Point options counselors and local health departments. It helps families identify early cognitive changes and determine whether a formal medical evaluation is warranted. The tool does not diagnose dementia, but it provides structured language for the conversation with your parent's physician.

Johns Hopkins Memory Care Family Checklist — launched in January 2026 through a partnership between the Maryland Department of Aging and Johns Hopkins University. This clinical checklist helps caregivers evaluate specific home safety needs, medical concerns, and emotional challenges. It generates personalized recommendations and connects caregivers to local resources based on the answers.

Ask Maryland Access Point or your local health department how these tools are offered in your area.

When Burnout Hits

Dementia caregiving burnout is not a character failing — it is a predictable consequence of sustained, high-demand care without adequate support. The research is unambiguous: dementia caregivers experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, and physical health deterioration than caregivers for other conditions, primarily because dementia removes the reciprocity that makes other caregiving relationships sustainable.

Signs that the caregiving situation has crossed from difficult to unsustainable:

• Sleep disruption most nights due to the care recipient's nighttime wandering, calling out, or needing toileting assistance
• Growing resentment toward siblings or other family members who are not sharing care responsibilities
• Neglecting your own medical appointments, exercise, or social connections for months at a time
• Feeling trapped — knowing something needs to change but seeing no viable alternative

Maryland resources for caregivers at this stage:

Local support groups — the Alzheimer's Association Greater Maryland Chapter runs caregiver support groups across the state, both in-person and virtual. These groups pair you with other caregivers managing the same behavioral challenges and administrative battles, which is qualitatively different from talking to friends or therapists who have not navigated the system.

SOAR program referral — if your parent does not qualify for Medicaid but the family cannot afford full private-pay care, the Supporting Older Adults with Resources (SOAR) program provides case management, in-home care assistance, and an assisted living subsidy (up to $1,000/month for memory care) for residents aged 62+ who meet income and asset limits. This can bridge the gap between what the family can sustain at home and what full facility placement costs.

Adult day care — medical adult day care programs can provide 6-8 hours of supervised, structured activities for individuals with dementia; ask whether a specific program accepts Medicaid and whether the parent meets its waiver criteria. This gives the primary caregiver a full working day of respite without the cost of 24-hour in-home aides.

Getting Paid as a Family Caregiver

Maryland's Community First Choice (CFC) program allows qualified individuals to hire family members — including adult children — as paid personal care aides through the self-directed services option. The family member is employed by the Medicaid participant, with payroll, taxes, and background checks handled by a state-approved Financial Management and Counseling Services (FMCS) provider.

CFC eligibility requires the care recipient to be enrolled in Medicaid and need assistance with at least one activity of daily living. There is no HCBOW waitlist for CFC — it is a state plan benefit available without a waiting period.

If your parent qualifies, this program converts unpaid family caregiving into a compensated role, which can make the difference between the primary caregiver reducing their hours at work or leaving their job entirely.

Building Toward a Longer-Term Plan

Caregiver support programs keep the current arrangement functional, but they do not answer the bigger question most families are circling: when does in-home care stop being viable, and what does the transition to a facility look like in Maryland?

The Maryland Dementia & Memory Care Guide covers both sides — sustaining home care through state programs and structuring the transition to licensed memory care when the time comes, including the Medicaid eligibility process, facility licensing verification, and cost planning.

See more Maryland guides →