Family Caregiver Resources for Mississippi

Caregiving may be one of the most important, and challenging, roles you’ll ever take on. No matter where you are in your caregiving journey — starting to plan; taking care of a family member in your home, in a facility, or from a distance; or managing end-of-life caregiving responsibilities — having resources at your fingertips will make the process easier.

AARP developed this family caregiver guide with you, the caregiver, in mind and as a starting point to help you find the services and support you might need throughout your journey.

To order a print copy of this online guide, call the toll-free AARP Family Caregiving Resource Line at 877-333-5885 and indicate which state(s) you would like to receive. A copy will be mailed to you.

General Resources

• Supporting Family Caregivers in Your State
  
  • AARP has a website dedicated to providing you with information about how we’re advocating for caregivers in your state.

• Area Agencies on Aging
  
  • Area Agencies on Aging coordinate, and advocate for the development of comprehensive and coordinated service delivery systems for all older adults and provide funds for services. The ten Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) across the state are private, non-profit organizations that serve as focal points offering a comprehensive array of services at the local level. Programs work to assure the quality of life and continued independence for the state’s older citizens.
    
    • Central Mississippi Area Agency on Aging (Serves: Copiah, Hinds, Madison, Rankin, Simpson, Warren, Yazoo counties)
      
      • 601-981-1511 | 866-981-1511 toll-free
    • East Central Area Agency on Aging (Serves: Clarke, Jasper, Kemper, Lauderdale, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Scott, Smith counties)
      
      • 601-683-2007 | 800-264-2007
    • Golden Triangle Area Agency on Aging (Serves: Choctaw, Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Webster, Winton counties)
      
      • 662-324-7860 | 888-324-9000
    • North Central Area Agencies on Aging (Serves: Attala, Carroll, Holmes, Grenada, Leflore, Montgomery, Yalobusha counties)
      
      • 662-283-2675 | 888-427-0714
    • North Delta Area Agency on Aging (Serves: Coahoma, DeSoto, Panola, Quitman, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica counties)
      
      • 662-561-4100 | 800-844-2433
    • Northeast Mississippi Area Agency on Aging (Serves: Alcorn, Benton, Marshall, Prentiss, Tippah, Tishomingo counties)
      
      • 662-728-6248 | 800-745-6961
    • South Delta Area Agency on Aging (Serves: Bolivar, Humphreys, Issaquena, Sharkey, Sunflower, Washington counties)
      
      • 662-378-3831 | 800-898-3055 | sdpdd.com
    • Southern Mississippi Area Agency on Aging (Serves: Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Harrison, Hancock, Jackson, Stone, Wayne, Lamar, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Marion, Pearl, River, Perry counties)
      
      • 228-868-2311 | 800-444-8014
    • Southwest Mississippi Area Agency on Aging (Serves: Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Franklin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Pike, Walthall, Wilkinson counties)
      
      • 601-446-6044 | 800-338-2049
    • Three Rivers Area Agency on Aging (Serves: Calhoun, Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc, and Union counties)
      
      • 662-489-2415 | 877-489-6911 toll-free

Health Resources

• Community Health Center Association of Mississippi (601-981-1817)
  
  • The Community Health Center Association of Mississippi (formerly the Mississippi Primary Health Care Association) is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of 21 community health centers committed to providing equal access to quality, comprehensive health care services and the elimination of health disparities in the state.

• The Mississippi Department of Mental Health–Community Mental Health Centers (601-359-1288 | 877-210-8513 toll-free Help Line)
  
  • The 14 Regional community mental health centers (CMHCs) provide a range of community-based mental health, substance use, and in some regions, intellectual/developmental disabilities services. They are the primary providers of outpatient community-based services in the state.

Home- and Community-Based Resources

• Mississippi Division of Medicaid (DOM) Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) (800-421-2408 | 601-359-6050)
  
  • DOM is responsible for administering five areas which include the Assisted Living waiver, Elderly and Disabled Waiver, Independent Living Waiver, Intellectual Disability/Developmental Disability and the Traumatic Brain Injury/Spinal Cord Injury Waiver. HCBS programs offer in-home services to help people live at home instead of in nursing homes.

• Mississippi Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) (601-359-4915)
  
  • DAAS assists aging and vulnerable adults, their families, and caregivers in achieving healthy, safe, and independent lifestyles, through advocacy, protection, education, and stewardship of public resources. 200 South Lamar St., Jackson, MS 39210

• Mississippi Access to Care (MAC) Network (844-822-4622 toll-free)
  
  • MAC Centers serve the older adults, persons with disabilities, those individuals’ family members and representatives, or any person seeking assistance with long-term care. They provide information and referral to needed services and supports, person-centered counseling, and screening for Medicaid waivers. All of this is available, regardless of an individual’s financial ability, within a person’s local MAC center, over the telephone, in a person’s home, or at another convenient location upon request.

Financial Resources

• AARP Foundation’s Benefits QuickLINK
  
  • Find public benefits that can help you pay for food, medicine, health care, utilities and more by using AARP Foundation’s Benefits QuickLINK tools.

Legal Resources

• North Mississippi Rural Legal Services (NMRLS) (662-234-8731 | 800-898-8731 | 800-498-1804)
  
  • NMRLS is a nonprofit corporation that serves 39 northern counties. The North Mississippi Rural Legal Services Elder Law Project — one of the special projects developed by NMRLS — provides civil legal services to those 60 and older of Northern Mississippi. This service is provided at no charge.

• Mississippi Center for Legal Services (800-498-1804 Intake hotline)
  
  • The Mississippi Center for Legal Services provides free civil legal assistance to eligible low-income persons within 43 counties in central and southern Mississippi. In order to qualify, most programs require a household income below 125% of the federal poverty level.

• Disability Rights Mississippi (DRMS) (601-968-0600 | 800-772-4057)
  
  • Disability Rights Mississippi is a statewide nonprofit agency which provides free legal services to people with disabilities in Mississippi. The organization handles matters in the following areas: special education, the Americans with Disabilities Act, protection from abuse and neglect, Medicaid and community services.

Workplace/Employer Resources

• Supporting Caregivers in the Workplace
  
  • AARP offers valuable resources to help employers create a caregiver-friendly workplace.
    

Transportation Resources

• Bolivar County Council on Aging (BCCOA), Inc. (877-866-8272 toll-free)
  
  • BCCOA is a nonprofit agency established to ensure that everyone has access to safe, reliable, efficient and cost-effective transportation in the Mississippi Delta.

• Hinds County Human Resource Agency (HCHRA) (601-923-3930 | For appointments: 601-962-5935; hchra.itfrontdesk.com)
  
  • HCHRA provides rural transportation services for anyone living in Bolton, Byram, Clinton, Edwards, Learned, Raymond, Terry and Utica, Mississippi. The agency focuses. on assisting older adults and persons with disabilities; however, transportation services are available for anyone in Hinds County.

Housing Resources

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (601-965-4757)
  
  • HUD provides capital advances to finance the construction, rehabilitation or acquisition with or without rehabilitation of structures that will serve as supportive housing for very low-income older adults, even those who are frail.

• Greater Greenville Housing and Revitalization Association, Inc. (GGHRA)
  
  • GGHRA is a nonprofit, Community Development Corporation (CDC)/ Organization with over 28 years of affordable housing development and support experience to the greater Greenville community. Their mission is to develop, provide and promote safe, affordable, and decent housing in conjunction with a focus on promoting revitalization activities in the community.

Specific Audience Resources

• AARP Caregiving Guides
  
  • AARP offers free caregiving guides for specific audiences, including guides for military families and LGBT individuals. The guides, also offered in Spanish and Chinese, are designed to help develop and implement a caregiving plan.
    

• Community Resource Finder
  
  • Community Resource Finder, a joint resource from Alzheimer’s Association and AARP, is a database of dementia and aging-related resources powered by Carelike. The online tool makes it easy to find local programs and services.

Care for Caregivers

• Community Connections
  
  • AARP Community Connections is a new website that offers steps to get or give help. You can organize online mutual aid groups to stay connected, share ideas and support those in need.

• Create the Good
  
  • Create the Good connects people with volunteer opportunities and project ideas to share their life experiences, skills and passions in their communities.

AARP Resources for Family Caregivers

• AARP Family Caregiving Website (en español: aarp.org/cuidar)
  
  • AARP’s Family Caregiving website is your one-stop shop for tips and tools to help you care for a loved one. It has valuable information about handling medical issues, health records and advance directives, home safety, financial and legal issues, caregiver life balance and much more.

• AARP Family Caregiving Resource Line (877-333-5885 toll-free, en español: 888-971-2013 toll-free)
  
  • Connect with a real person and learn how to access local resources via our toll-free family caregiving hotline.

• AARP Family Caregivers Facebook Group
  
  • Join the AARP Family Caregivers Discussion Group on Facebook to connect, ask questions and share ideas with other family caregivers.

• Community Resource Finder
  
  • Community Resource Finder, a joint service from the Alzheimer’s Association and AARP, is a database of dementia- and aging-related resources powered by Carelike. The online tool makes it easy to find local programs and services.

• I Heart Caregivers
  
  • Join the thousands of family caregivers who have shared their experiences through AARP’s storytelling initiative, I Heart Caregivers. Your story will help AARP continue to fight for more support for family caregivers.

• AARP Online Caregiving Community
  
  • Join our community and connect with other caregivers like you.

• AARP HomeFit Guide
  
  • The AARP HomeFit Guide can help individuals and families make their current or future residence age-friendly. It can also help elected officials, policymakers and local leaders learn about and advocate for the types of housing features and designs that communities need so that their residents can live safely and comfortably and thrive.

• National Resources for Family Caregivers
  
  • A listing of national agencies, groups and organizations that can connect family caregivers with direct services and supports.

If you have thoughts about how AARP can improve this resource guide, we invite you to go to aarp.org/preparetocaresurvey (en español: aarp.org/encuestacuidador).