Get paid to care for family in Mercer County
Most of the 3,480 people in Mercer County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Illinois Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Mercer County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 3,480
- Aged 85+
- 401
- Rank in IL
- 66th
- Median age
- 44.6
23% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 102 counties, by residents 65+
older than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Mercer County is a smaller-city county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 2).
- 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 Mercer
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 3,480 people in Mercer County are 65 or older — 23% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Illinois overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 401 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. There are only so many home-care agencies in a county this size, and the ones that are here do not always cover evenings, weekends, or the far end of the county.
Statewide, 2.3 million people in Illinois are 65 or older — 18% of the state, across 102 counties.
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 Mercer County
Illinois sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Aledo and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Mercer County:
- Aledo3,522
- Viola843
- Matherville690
- Sherrard688
- Windsor652
- New Boston605
- Keithsburg545
- Joy359
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Mercer apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Mercer 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 →Mercer questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Mercer County?
Yes. Illinois runs real Medicaid programs — like Community Care Program (CCP) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Mercer County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Mercer 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 Mercer County apply?
Families in Mercer 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 Mercer 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 Mercer County might need this?
3,480 residents of Mercer County are 65 or older and about 401 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 Mercer do you cover?
All of Mercer County — including Aledo, Viola, Matherville, Sherrard and Windsor. 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.
Guides
For families in Mercer County
Start with the Illinois caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Mercer
The counties Mercer 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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