DeKalb County, AL
Get paid to care for your family member in DeKalb County, Alabama
About 13,200 people in DeKalb County are 65 or older — 18% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Alabama as a whole. Roughly 1,170 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. In a rural county, an agency aide may be a long drive away — when one is available at all. That is exactly why the state lets you be the paid caregiver instead.
Who needs care in DeKalb
- People 65 and older
- 13,200
- People 85 and older
- 1,170
- Median age
- 39.7
- Rank in Alabama
- 20th
18% of DeKalb residents
the age daily help usually starts
close to the national average
of 67 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). DeKalb County is a rural county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 6). Alabama as a whole is 19% aged 65 or older.
What Alabama pays family caregivers
$2,320/month
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Alabama Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Alabama's programs at a glance
- Personal Choices
- E&D Waiver
- ACT Waiver
- SAIL Waiver
- Spouse paid?
- Sometimes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Alabama guide →
Towns and cities in DeKalb County
Alabama sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Fort Payne and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in DeKalb County:
- Fort Payne15,017
- Rainsville5,931
- Henagar2,322
- Collinsville2,051
- Crossville1,829
- Sylvania1,824
- Fyffe976
- Powell929
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in DeKalb apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in DeKalb County start with Alabama's program:
Contact your local Area Agency on Aging via AgeLine 1-800-243-5463 (or 1-877-425-2243), or submit Form 204/205 to your Medicaid District Office; enrollees then opt into Personal Choices.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Alabama program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →DeKalb questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in DeKalb County?
Yes. Alabama runs real Medicaid programs — like Personal Choices — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in DeKalb County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in DeKalb County?
Reported figures in Alabama are around $2,320/month, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in DeKalb County apply?
Families in DeKalb County start with the state, not the county. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging via AgeLine 1-800-243-5463 (or 1-877-425-2243), or submit Form 204/205 to your Medicaid District Office; enrollees then opt into Personal Choices.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in DeKalb County?
Sometimes — it depends on the program. The fine print for Alabama: limited — Personal Choices allows sons, daughters, adult grandchildren, nieces/nephews and 'in some cases, spouses'; caregiver must be 18+ and pass background screening
How many people in DeKalb County might need this?
13,200 residents of DeKalb County are 65 or older and about 1,170 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Alabama's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in DeKalb do you cover?
All of DeKalb County — including Fort Payne, Rainsville, Henagar, Collinsville and Crossville. Eligibility is set by Alabama, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Alabama's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
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