Lake County, IL
Get paid to care for your family member in Lake County, Illinois
About 121,600 people in Lake County are 65 or older — 17% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Illinois as a whole. Roughly 12,700 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Lake County is one of the state's biggest population centers, and home-care agencies do work here — but staffing is thin, schedules change, and a stranger in the house is not what every family wants.
Who needs care in Lake
- People 65 and older
- 121,600
- People 85 and older
- 12,700
- Median age
- 39.6
- Rank in Illinois
- 3rd
17% of Lake residents
the age daily help usually starts
close to the national average
of 102 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Lake County is a large metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 1). Illinois as a whole is 18% aged 65 or older.
What Illinois pays family caregivers
$18–$20/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Illinois Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Illinois's programs at a glance
- Community Care Program (CCP)
- Home Services Program (HSP)
- MFTD Waiver (children)
- Spouse paid?
- Sometimes
- 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 Illinois guide →
Towns and cities in Lake County
Illinois sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Waukegan and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Lake County:
- Waukegan88,570
- Mundelein32,641
- Highland Park30,794
- North Chicago30,639
- Gurnee30,546
- Buffalo Grove29,563
- Round Lake Beach27,091
- Vernon Hills27,002
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Lake apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Lake County start with Illinois's program:
Age 60+: call the Senior HelpLine 800-252-8966 to reach the local Care Coordination Unit for a CCP assessment; under 60: apply through the local DHS-DRS Home Services Program office; medically fragile children: contact UIC DSCC.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Illinois program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Lake questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Lake County?
Yes. Illinois runs real Medicaid programs — like Community Care Program (CCP) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Lake County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Lake County?
Reported figures in Illinois are around $18–$20/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Lake County apply?
Families in Lake County start with the state, not the county. Age 60+: call the Senior HelpLine 800-252-8966 to reach the local Care Coordination Unit for a CCP assessment; under 60: apply through the local DHS-DRS Home Services Program office; medically fragile children: contact UIC DSCC.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Lake County?
Sometimes — it depends on the program. The fine print for Illinois: limited — CCP: yes, any family member including a spouse may be hired (recent expansion, via agency with background check + 24-hr training); HSP: no, spouses excluded as legally responsible relatives
How many people in Lake County might need this?
121,600 residents of Lake County are 65 or older and about 12,700 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. Illinois's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Lake do you cover?
All of Lake County — including Waukegan, Mundelein, Highland Park, North Chicago and Gurnee. Eligibility is set by Illinois, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Illinois's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
More Illinois counties
The programs are the same statewide — pick your county:
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