Family caregivers often have questions and concerns about the legal and financial issues that arise during caregiving. How do I cover the cost of care? Are there programs to assist with paying for care? What are the legal issues that impact my role as a caregiver? What do I do if the person I'm caring for isn't able to make decisions? Below is a list of resources to help based on your question.
Local
Financial Wellness for Wisconsin Family and Caregiver Support Alliance offered by Summit Credit Union
Financial literacy is important, especially if you're a caregiver. You have the power to manage your finances, and it all starts by having access to some pretty incredible resources. So what’s the next step, and the one after that? Summit meets you wherever you’re at, with personalized guidance, helpful tools, everything you need to confidently live your best life. And it’s all at no cost – supporting you is just what we do. Let’s do this!
State
Advance Directives
State resources for finding information and advance directives forms.
Alzheimer's Family Caregiver Support Program (AFCSP) through your local Aging Unit or ADRC
Funds are available in each county and tribe for qualified individuals to provide temporary caregiver respite care and purchase goods and services needed to help care for someone with irreversible dementia.
Caregiver Respite Grant Program through Respite Care Association of Wisconsin
Provides financial support for family caregivers for up to 5 days of respite care within 30 days of application approval. This grant allows approved applicants to hire the respite care provider of their choice for the care recipient.
Disability Benefit Specialist Program
State resource for learning about and finding a Disability Benefit Specialist.
Elder Benefit Specialist Program
State resource for learning about and finding an Elderly Benefit Specialist.
Elder Law & Advocacy Center
Operated by the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources, Inc.
The Elder Law & Advocacy Center supports the elder benefit specialists in Wisconsin and provides information on elder law issues.
FoodShare Wisconsin
Helps low-income families and individuals buy nutritious food. Apply online or ask at the ADRC.
Free Legal Clinics
Free legal clinics for the public. There are several recurring legal clinics throughout the state on a variety of topics.
There may be others in addition to this list. Check with the State Bar or your local bar association to find out if there are other free or low-income legal services in your area.
Homestead Credit
State resource providing information on the homestead credit.
Respite Care Association of Wisconsin
Grants and programs to promote, support, and expand quality statewide respite care across the lifespan. Find the Respite Caregiver Registry, free caregiver training, caregiver grants, including "Emergency Respite Care for Primary Caregivers in Wisconsin", and learn how to become a respite care provider.
Supplemental Respite Grant Program through Respite Care Association of Wisconsin
Supports primary caregivers by providing funding for supplemental respite services. This grant allows you to hire the person of your choice to help with housekeeping, meal prep, laundry, lawn care, snow removal, transportation, and technology.
Wisconsin Guardianship Support Center
Operated by the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources, Inc. The Guardianship Support Center provides information about guardianship, protective placement, advance directives, and other issues that impact people who are helping to make decisions for an incapacitated adult.
Wisconsin Spousal Impoverishment Protections
State information regarding income and asset protection for married couples when one spouse is in a nursing home or participating in a community waiver program and the other spouse is not in a nursing home or other medical institution.
Wispact
A private, nonprofit organization that administers pooled and community Special Needs Trusts for people with disabilities.
National
Adoption & guardianship - Comparison Chart
This chart is designed to help kinship foster parents compare adoption and guardianship as two options that you and the children in your care can pursue to exit foster care and create permanent families in Wisconsin.
Benefits Check Up
BenefitsCheckUp® connects millions of older adults and people with disabilities with benefits programs that can help pay for health care, medicine, food, utilities, and more. See what's available in your area by entering your ZIP code.
Everyone On
Find low-cost internet and computers in your area.
Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network - Legal Options
When a child comes into your care, there are so many practical needs to deal with right away.
Food, clothing, school, a place to sleep. You may also have concerns about legal issues and the paperwork you need to access supports for the child.
Here are some issues caregivers often think about, and where to go for help.
Grandfamilies.Org
Grandfamilies.org serves as a national legal resource in support of grandfamilies within and outside the child welfare system.
National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) through your local Aging Unit or ADRC
This program offers respite, information, support, and other resources to family caregivers.
Social Security Administration
Information on Social Security and other federal income maintenance programs.
Special Needs Alliance
National organization comprised of attorneys who can help answer questions about public benefits, special needs trusts, guardianships/conservatorships, planning for disabilities and special education issues.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Pays benefits to people who can't work because they have a medical condition or disability.
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
A federal nutrition program that protects and improves the health of nutritionally at-risk infants, children up to 5 years old, and pregnant and postpartum individuals from households with low incomes. As a grandparent or other caregiver raising children whose parents cannot, you can apply for WIC for infants and children up to age 5 in your care. If approved, your local WIC clinic will give you an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card to purchase a food package tailored to the infant or child’s needs.
WISER Caregiver
Caregiving page on WISER (Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement) with downloadable information and links to other caregiving sites.
USA.gov - Legal Resources
Learn about programs and organizations that give free legal advice and may help you find a free or low-cost attorney.
Other
American Parkinson Disease Association
Offers a patient aid scholarship program designed to provide financial support to people with Parkinson's disease (PD) and their families. Approved applicants will be eligible to be granted up to $500 per calendar year (January – December). Funds are limited and will be awarded on a first-come basis.
Home Care Recharge Respite Grant
For those with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or related dementia, currently living at home, and who have a financial need, emotional need, and need access to social support.
Patient Advocate Foundation
Provides small grants to patients who meet financial and medical criteria. Grants are provided on a first-come, first-served basis and are distributed until funds are depleted. Grants also include a Caregiver Support Fund grant. The Patient Advocate Foundation Caregiver Support Fund offers a one-time $2,000 grant to the caregivers of loved ones who have been diagnosed with cancer and are currently undergoing treatment. The fund helps to cover the out-of-pocket costs to assist caregivers with expenses related to transportation, housing, utilities, respite care not covered by insurance, food and nutrition needs, as well as lost wages. To be eligible, the patient must meet income guidelines, be diagnosed with cancer and currently undergoing treatment, and the patient’s doctor must confirm the diagnosis of cancer. If the patient meets all eligible program requirements and is approved, the grant check will be mailed directly to the caregiver. Register and apply online here or by calling 844-462-8072. The Patient Advocate Foundation’s Caregiver Support fund is made possible through the generous support of the American Cancer Society.
The ALS Association of Wisconsin Chapter - Brain Trinastic Memorial Grant Program
Assists with the needs of those individuals living with ALS. The Chapter does not receive federal or state funding.
The Grant Program is solely funded through private donations, memorials, chapter-sponsored and community/family events.
The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration
FTD imposes a severe economic burden on persons diagnosed and their families. AFTD offers comstock grants for respite care, quality of life, and travel grants as direct assistance to people in the FTD community.
