Get paid to care for family in Union County
Most of the 7,430 people in Union County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Arkansas Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Union County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 7,430
- Aged 85+
- 788
- Rank in AR
- 19th
- Median age
- 40.8
20% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 75 counties, by residents 65+
older than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Union County is a rural county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 7).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in Union
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 7,430 people in Union County are 65 or older — 20% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Arkansas as a whole. Roughly 788 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.
Statewide, 562,800 people in Arkansas are 65 or older — 18% of the state, across 75 counties.
What Arkansas pays family caregivers
Rates vary — check with the program.
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Arkansas Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Arkansas's programs at a glance
- IndependentChoices
- ARChoices in Homecare
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- 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 Arkansas guide →
Towns and cities in Union County
Arkansas sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in El Dorado and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Union County:
- El Dorado16,657
- Smackover1,573
- Norphlet719
- Junction City480
- Huttig430
- Calion412
- Strong398
- Felsenthal84
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Union apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Union County start with Arkansas's program:
Apply online at Access Arkansas or at a local DHS county office with the Long-Term Services and Supports application, or call the Choices in Living Resource Center at 866-801-3435; then elect IndependentChoices.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Arkansas program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Union questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Union County?
Yes. Arkansas runs real Medicaid programs — like IndependentChoices — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Union County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Union County?
Arkansas doesn't publish one flat rate. The program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Union County apply?
Families in Union County start with the state, not the county. Apply online at Access Arkansas or at a local DHS county office with the Long-Term Services and Supports application, or call the Choices in Living Resource Center at 866-801-3435; then elect IndependentChoices.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Union County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Arkansas: no — spouses and legal guardians are prohibited from being hired; other relatives including adult children can be paid
How many people in Union County might need this?
7,430 residents of Union County are 65 or older and about 788 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. Arkansas's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Union do you cover?
All of Union County — including El Dorado, Smackover, Norphlet, Junction City and Huttig. Eligibility is set by Arkansas, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Arkansas's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Guides
For families in Union County
Start with the Arkansas caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Union
The counties Union touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water. Ones marked with a state abbreviation are across the line, and their rules are their state's, not this one's.
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