Loading...
Free personalized senior living guidance for families
(858) 283-4504Loading...
Maryland · Everything here is free · Reviewed July 2026
If you're worried about affording care for yourself or an aging parent in Maryland, please don't lose hope. Maryland has a strong set of free programs for older adults — help paying for care at home, covering medical costs, buying groceries, and making sense of Medicare. Most people simply never get told these exist.
Not sure where to start? Call for free1-844-627-5465This is your one-call starting line for aging and disability help — in-home care, meals, caregiver support, and benefits counseling. Also known as 1-844-MAP-LINK. You can also dial 211.
Everything on this page is free. There's no charge to call these numbers or use these services. They exist to help older Marylanders live safely and with dignity.
You don't have to understand all of it right now. One phone call is enough to get started.
Tap what fits. You'll jump straight to the right help — no reading through the rest.
Still not sure? Just make the call above — they'll help you figure it out. One call is a great start.
Start here for most families
Most people would rather stay in their own home, and Maryland Medicaid has programs built for that:
Both programs are for Medicaid-eligible adults who need a nursing-home level of care but want to remain in the community. Call to apply or learn more. Note that Medicaid generally doesn't pay the room-and-board rent of assisted living, but these programs may cover the care services — ask what applies to you.
Maryland Medicaid covers doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, and long-term care — including nursing facilities and services that help you stay in your own home.
For seniors, eligibility depends on income and assets. The limits are lower than many expect, but there are protections for married couples and special rules for long-term care, and things like your home and one car usually don't count. These limits change every year, so please don't assume you won't qualify — call and check.
Apply for Maryland Medicaid by phone (TTY 1-855-642-8573) or online.
Maryland Access Point or your local Department of Social Services can help you apply in person, free of charge.
PACE bundles all your medical care, prescriptions, therapy, and social support into one coordinated program, often centered on a day center. Most participants have both Medicare and Medicaid and pay little or nothing.
Maryland has PACE programs, including Hopkins ElderPlus in the Baltimore area. PACE isn't available in every county, so ask Maryland Access Point whether PACE serves your area, or search npaonline.org/find-a-pace-program.
Call to check availability, or search the national PACE directory to learn more.
If you're on Medicare
Two programs can lower your Medicare costs, and many who qualify never apply:
Apply through Maryland Health Connection or your local Department of Social Services.
Apply for the prescription drug subsidy through Social Security.
SHIP can help you apply for both programs — free.
SHIP, run by the Maryland Department of Aging, gives free, confidential, one-on-one Medicare counseling. Counselors compare drug and health plans so you pay less, help you enroll on time and avoid penalties, sort out billing problems, and check whether you qualify for cost-saving programs. They are not salespeople.
Free, confidential, one-on-one Medicare counseling through the Maryland Department of Aging.
Everyday essentials
Run by the Maryland Department of Human Services. Adds money to a card each month for groceries.
Available through your Area Agency on Aging — reach them via Maryland Access Point.
Worried about rent, utilities, or staying safe at home? They can connect you with senior housing, energy assistance, and home modification help.
Dial 211 for housing, energy assistance, and home modification help in your area.
Call for help finding senior housing, energy assistance, and home modification support.
Guidance & protection
Every Maryland county and Baltimore City has an Area Agency on Aging offering Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, transportation, and benefits counseling for people 60 and older. The easiest way to reach yours is Maryland Access Point at 1-844-627-5465 (or dial 211), or use the national Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.
One call connects you to your local Area Agency on Aging. You can also dial 211.
A free national service that connects older adults to trusted local aging resources.
Older Marylanders can get free civil legal help with issues like Medicaid denials, housing, consumer scams, and elder abuse.
Maryland Legal Aid
Free civil legal services for issues like Medicaid denials, housing, consumer scams, and elder abuse.
Your Area Agency on Aging funds free legal help for people 60+ under the Older Americans Act.
Can also connect you to elder legal help.
You can also dial 211 for a legal-help referral.
If a loved one lives in a nursing home or assisted living and something isn't right, the Maryland State Long-Term Care Ombudsman (at the Maryland Department of Aging) is a free, confidential advocate. They work to resolve complaints and protect residents' rights.
A free, confidential advocate for residents of long-term care facilities. Works to resolve complaints and protect residents' rights.
The Consumer Voice
Additional information and support for long-term care residents and families.
Free, statewide help for almost any need.
A free national service that connects older adults and caregivers to local services anywhere in the U.S.
Call Maryland Access Point at 1-844-627-5465 (or dial 211) and describe what you need — home care, help with bills, or just answers.
Call for free1-844-627-5465It's the state's Medicaid program — health coverage, including long-term care, for people with limited income and resources.
Usually not. Medicare covers short-term medical care, not ongoing long-term care. Maryland Medicaid, the Community Options Waiver, and Community First Choice are what help with that.
Very possibly. Many people on Social Security qualify for Medicaid or a Medicare Savings Program. Limits change yearly, so call 1-855-642-8572 and check.
Ask about Medicare Savings Programs through Maryland Medicaid (1-855-642-8572) and Extra Help through Social Security (1-800-772-1213). SHIP (1-800-243-3425) can help you apply.
Yes — the Community Options Waiver and Community First Choice are designed for that. Call Maryland Access Point at 1-844-627-5465.
Yes. Maryland Access Point, SHIP, and 211 are all free. You never pay for guidance.
Reaching out for help is a strong, caring choice — for yourself or someone you love. The people answering these Maryland phone lines want to help older Marylanders stay safe and independent. Make one call today, and let them help carry the load.
Program details, income limits, and contact information can change. The agencies linked above can confirm the most current specifics for your situation. This page is for general information and isn't legal or financial advice.
Last reviewed: July 2026. Program details, income limits, and contact information can change — the linked agencies confirm the most current specifics.