Family Caregiver Support Program Hawaii: Services, Eligibility, and How to Apply

The Federal Foundation: National Family Caregiver Support Program in Hawaii

Hawaii receives federal funding through the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), authorized under Title III-E of the Older Americans Act. The state Executive Office on Aging distributes these funds to the four county Area Agencies on Aging, which administer the program locally.

NFCSP provides five categories of support: information about available services, assistance accessing those services, individual counseling and support groups, respite care (both in-home and at adult day care facilities), and supplemental services like emergency home modifications or assistive devices. Priority goes to caregivers of older adults with the greatest social and economic need, with particular attention to low-income and minority caregivers.

To access NFCSP services, contact your county's ADRC. The intake coordinator will assess your situation as a caregiver — your stress level, the hours you're providing, your own health status — and connect you with the specific services that match your needs. There's no income test for the caregiver, though some services may involve voluntary cost-sharing based on ability to pay.

State-Funded Caregiver Programs

Beyond the federal NFCSP, Hawaii funds two state-specific programs that directly support family caregivers:

Kupuna Caregivers Program (KCGP) provides up to $210 per week in subsidized services — paid directly to contracted care providers — so that working family caregivers can maintain their employment. The dual eligibility requirements are specific: the caregiver must work at least 30 hours per week outside the home, and the care recipient must be a Hawaii resident age 60 or older with impairments in at least two ADLs or IADLs, or severe cognitive decline.

KCGP funding covers the same types of services the caregiver would otherwise have to provide during work hours: personal care, homemaker assistance, adult day care, companion services, and respite. The caregiver submits an Employer Attestation Form to verify employment, and the county AAA arranges the provider. There are no asset limits for either the caregiver or the care recipient.

Kupuna Care is the broader state-funded program that provides direct services to the senior rather than the caregiver, but its practical effect is caregiver relief. When a homebound senior receives Kupuna Care homemaker services, personal care, or home-delivered meals, the family caregiver's daily burden drops. Eligibility is based on the senior's functional needs (two or more ADL/IADL impairments) and residency; there are no asset limits, and county offices may use sliding-scale cost-sharing based on income.

How SB 2291 Strengthens Caregiver Protections

Effective January 2026, Senate Bill 2291 changed how Hawaii evaluates the role of family caregivers when determining a parent's Medicaid home care hours. Previously, if an adult child lived with their parent, Medicaid evaluators and MCO service coordinators often applied a "presumption of availability" — assuming the co-residing family member could provide unpaid care, which reduced the authorized hours of professional help.

SB 2291 ended that automatic presumption. Now, DHS must perform a documented evaluation of the caregiver's actual capacity before reducing services. The evaluation must account for the caregiver's own physical and mental health limitations, employment schedule, school commitments, and competing caregiving responsibilities (such as caring for children or other family members with disabilities).

This matters practically: if you're providing 20 hours of care per week while working full-time, the state can no longer assume you can absorb another 15 hours simply because you live in the house. Document your schedule, your own health conditions, and any other dependents when your parent's care plan is being developed or reviewed.

Finding Caregiver Training and Support Groups

Each county ADRC offers or can refer you to caregiver training workshops covering topics like safe transfer techniques, medication management, managing behavioral symptoms of dementia, and preventing caregiver burnout. Some counties partner with local hospitals and the University of Hawaii's Center on Aging for specialized training programs.

Support groups — both in-person and virtual — are coordinated through the county AAAs and organizations like the Alzheimer's Association Aloha Chapter. These aren't therapy sessions; they're practical peer groups where caregivers share strategies for navigating Hawaii's specific system — which MCO is responsive on a particular island, how to handle a Kupuna Care waitlist, what to do when the Handi-Van won't serve your area.

Getting Started

Call your county's ADRC to request a caregiver assessment. The intake coordinator evaluates both your needs as a caregiver and your parent's needs as a care recipient, then maps you to the right combination of federal and state programs. If you're working 30+ hours per week, ask specifically about KCGP — it's frequently underutilized because caregivers don't know it exists.

For a comprehensive walkthrough of all Hawaii caregiver support programs alongside Medicaid benefits and legal planning tools, see our Hawaii Home Care Navigation Guide.

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