DeKalb County, TN
Get paid to care for your family member in DeKalb County, Tennessee
About 4,140 people in DeKalb County are 65 or older — 19% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Tennessee as a whole. Roughly 327 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Out here, hiring an outside agency often is not realistic at all. Being paid to do the care yourself is not a workaround — it is how these programs were designed to work.
Who needs care in DeKalb
- People 65 and older
- 4,140
- People 85 and older
- 327
- Median age
- 42.1
- Rank in Tennessee
- 69th
19% of DeKalb residents
the age daily help usually starts
close to the national average
of 95 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). DeKalb County is one of the most rural counties in the country (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 8). Tennessee as a whole is 18% aged 65 or older.
What Tennessee pays family caregivers
$11–$19.16/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Tennessee Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Tennessee's programs at a glance
- TennCare CHOICES consumer direction
- ECF CHOICES
- Katie Beckett (children)
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Sometimes
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Tennessee guide →
Towns and cities in DeKalb County
Tennessee sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Smithville and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in DeKalb County:
- Smithville5,546
- Alexandria944
- Dowelltown367
- Liberty345
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 Tennessee's program:
Current TennCare members contact their managed care organization (health plan); everyone else calls their local Area Agency on Aging and Disability at 1-866-836-6678 to start CHOICES screening.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Tennessee 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. Tennessee runs real Medicaid programs — like TennCare CHOICES consumer direction — 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 Tennessee are around $11–$19.16/hr, 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. Current TennCare members contact their managed care organization (health plan); everyone else calls their local Area Agency on Aging and Disability at 1-866-836-6678 to start CHOICES screening.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in DeKalb County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Tennessee: no — spouses, legal guardians, and powers of attorney cannot be hired; adult children and other relatives can
How many people in DeKalb County might need this?
4,140 residents of DeKalb County are 65 or older and about 327 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. Tennessee's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in DeKalb do you cover?
All of DeKalb County — including Smithville, Alexandria, Dowelltown and Liberty. Eligibility is set by Tennessee, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Tennessee'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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