Nebraska Caregiver Support Resources: Programs, Respite, and Financial Help

You're Not Supposed to Do This Alone

If you're caring for an aging parent in Nebraska — managing their medications, driving them to appointments, helping with bathing and dressing, coordinating with agencies — you are doing a job. Nebraska has programs designed to support family caregivers, but most families don't know they exist until they're already exhausted.

Here's what's actually available, how to access it, and what each program realistically provides.

National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP)

Every Nebraska Area Agency on Aging administers the NFCSP, which provides five categories of support to family caregivers:

• Information and referral: Connecting you with local services, support groups, and community resources
• Caregiver counseling and training: Individual counseling, support groups, and training on caregiving skills
• Respite care: Temporary relief for the primary caregiver — someone else provides care while you take a break
• Supplemental services: Limited funding for supplies, equipment, or home modifications that support caregiving
• Access assistance: Help navigating the service system and finding the right programs

Eligibility: you must be a family caregiver providing care to a person age 60 or older, or a grandparent raising a grandchild. Priority goes to caregivers with the greatest social and economic need.

Contact your local AAA to apply: call the Nebraska ADRC at 1-844-843-6364 for routing.

Respite Care Through the AD Waiver

If your parent is on the Aged and Disabled (AD) Waiver, respite care is a covered service. The waiver funds a temporary caregiver so the primary family caregiver can take scheduled breaks — whether that's a few hours per week or a longer block for vacation or personal medical appointments.

Respite can be provided in your parent's home, at an adult day health center, or through a short-term stay at an assisted living or nursing facility. Your parent's DHHS service coordinator authorizes the respite benefit as part of the person-centered service plan.

Getting Paid to Care for Your Parent

Nebraska's AD Waiver includes a self-directed services option that allows your parent to hire their own caregivers — including non-spouse family members. If your parent qualifies for the waiver and you're providing regular care, you may be eligible to receive payment through this option.

The process:

1. Your parent must meet NFLOC clinical eligibility (three ADL limitations plus a risk factor, medical condition, or cognitive impairment under 471 NAC 44)
2. Your parent must meet Medicaid financial eligibility ($4,000 asset limit)
3. The DHHS service coordinator includes you as a self-directed caregiver in the service plan
4. You're paid at the state's home care reimbursement rate

Spouse eligibility is service-specific: a spouse generally is not an ordinary Personal Care provider, but the separate LRI Personal Care service has its own requirements. Adult children, siblings, and other non-spouse relatives may be eligible under some arrangements; confirm the provider and relationship rules with DHHS.

Lifespan Respite Care

Nebraska participates in the federal Lifespan Respite Care program, which provides respite vouchers to family caregivers who may not qualify for other programs. These vouchers can pay for temporary professional care while the family caregiver takes time off.

Contact the Nebraska Lifespan Respite Network through the ADRC (1-844-843-6364) for current voucher availability — funding fluctuates by fiscal year and demand.

Support Groups and Counseling

Caregiving in isolation compounds stress. Nebraska's AAAs coordinate local caregiver support groups, many now offering virtual options that work for caregivers who can't leave their parent alone to attend an in-person meeting.

For dementia-specific support, the Alzheimer's Association Nebraska-South Dakota Chapter (1-800-272-3900) runs support groups statewide and provides a 24/7 helpline staffed by licensed social workers who can help with care planning questions, crisis intervention, and emotional support.

When the Caregiver Needs Medical Leave

If you're employed and need time off to care for your parent, the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) can provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave during a 12-month period if you meet the eligibility requirements. Private employers are generally covered if they have 50 or more employees within 75 miles of your worksite; public agencies and public or private elementary and secondary schools are covered regardless of size. You generally must also have worked for the employer for 12 months and 1,250 hours in the preceding 12 months. Nebraska does not have a state-level paid family leave law, so the leave is unpaid unless your employer offers paid leave benefits.

FMLA covers care for a parent with a "serious health condition" — which includes a hospital stay and the recovery period afterward. You can take FMLA leave intermittently (a few hours at a time for medical appointments) rather than all at once.

After a Hospital Discharge

The period immediately following a parent's hospital discharge is when caregiver support matters most. You're suddenly managing medications, coordinating home health visits, handling equipment, and monitoring for complications — often while still working and managing your own household.

Our Nebraska Hospital Discharge Guide includes the post-discharge monitoring checklist and the agency communication log, both designed to reduce the coordination burden during the highest-risk period. It pairs with the caregiver support programs above: the guide handles the clinical and administrative workflow while the support programs handle your capacity to sustain it.

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