PA Dept of Aging — Free Caregiver Support Groups — Statewide Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging is the state agency coordinating aging services across all 67 PA counties, including the federally and state-funded Caregiver Support Program (CSP). Through CSP, the Department supports free caregiver support groups across the Commonwealth — held at local Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers, and community partners — and provides reimbursement for respite care, supplemental services, and consumable supplies for eligible caregivers.
What to Expect
Caregivers connect with the Caregiver Support Program through their local Area Agency on Aging. Each county AAA runs or coordinates support groups that match the program’s mission: free, peer-driven, professionally facilitated. Topics span the breadth of family caregiving — dementia, Parkinson’s, stroke, chronic illness, mobility decline, and grief. Beyond the support groups, CSP can reimburse eligible caregivers for respite care (so they can take a break), for supplemental services like home modifications and assistive devices, and for consumable supplies — meaningful financial help on top of the community support.
Who This Group Is For
The Caregiver Support Program serves Pennsylvania caregivers age 18 or older who are providing care to an older adult (60+) or to a person of any age with chronic dementia. It also serves older adults (55+) raising grandchildren or other related children. Income guidelines apply to the financial reimbursement portion of CSP, but the free support groups and educational programs are available regardless of income. Members include adult children, spouses, siblings, grandparents, and friends.
Why Peer Support Works
Pennsylvania’s caregiver landscape spans dense urban regions like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh as well as rural counties with limited local services. The CSP model — local Area Agency on Aging hubs connected through a statewide framework — makes free caregiver support genuinely available in every county. A peer support group at the local AAA becomes the consistent place where caregivers can talk about the work, learn from others, and feel less alone in the role.
How to Join
To find your local Area Agency on Aging and the closest caregiver support group, visit pa.gov/agencies/aging/aging-programs-and-services/caregiver-support-program or call the Pennsylvania Department of Aging at (717) 783-1550. The PA Link to Aging and Disability Resources line at 1-800-753-8827 can also connect caregivers to local services across the Commonwealth.