You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to figure it out only through us. Below are five outside organizations — state, county, and national — that families use alongside home care, or before they've decided what kind of help they need at all.
This is an informational listing, not an endorsement. Blueprint has no financial relationship with any organization named here. Verify hours, eligibility, and current phone numbers directly with each organization before relying on the details below — government pages and program rules change.
Start Here If You Don't Know Where to Start
New Jersey's Aging & Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) is the state's front door for aging and disability services, in every county. One call gets you screened for benefits and pointed to local programs — including the two respite programs below.
NJ Aging & Disability Resource Connection (ADRC)
Statewide, single point of entry for benefits screening and referrals — a reasonable first call regardless of county.
Your County's Office on Aging
Morris County's Aging, Disabilities & Community Programming division keeps three directories families ask us about most: a Caregiver Resource Directory, an Adult Day Care Programs list, and a Caregiver Support Groups list. If you're outside Morris County, the ADRC number above can connect you to your own county office.
Morris County — Aging, Disabilities & Community Programming
Care management, caregiver support, one-time prescription assistance, Project Lifesaver, and MAPS transportation, plus the three directories above.
When You Need a Break, Not Just a Referral
Caregiving without relief is how caregivers end up in the hospital themselves. New Jersey runs two state-funded programs built specifically around giving family caregivers time off, and around keeping an aging parent at home instead of in a facility.
Jersey Assistance for Community Caregiving (JACC)
State-funded, in-home and community-based services for people 60 and older who meet nursing-home-level clinical eligibility but want to stay home.
NJ Statewide Respite Care Program
A short-term or periodic break from daily caregiving duties for families caring for a functionally impaired older adult.
When the Question Is Bigger Than One Service
Some families need less "who provides care" and more "what is the plan." That's a different professional than a home care agency: a geriatric care manager, sometimes called an aging life care professional. They assess the whole situation, coordinate between doctors and family, and can be worth engaging alongside home care, not instead of it.
Aging Life Care Association
National professional association for geriatric care managers, with a directory to find one near you.