Get paid to care for family in Jefferson County
Most of the 141,200 people in Jefferson County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Kentucky Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Jefferson County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 141,200
- Aged 85+
- 14,000
- Rank in KY
- 1st
- Median age
- 38.4
18% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 120 counties, by residents 65+
close to the national average
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Jefferson County is a large metro county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 1).
- 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 Jefferson
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 141,200 people in Jefferson County are 65 or older — 18% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Kentucky as a whole. Roughly 14,000 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Jefferson 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.
Statewide, 826,700 people in Kentucky are 65 or older — 18% of the state, across 120 counties.
What Kentucky pays family caregivers
$29.04/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Kentucky Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Kentucky's programs at a glance
- Participant Directed Services (PDS)
- HCB Waiver
- Michelle P. Waiver
- Spouse paid?
- Sometimes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Sometimes
- Waitlist
- Waitlists can be long — apply early.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Kentucky guide →
Towns and cities in Jefferson County
Kentucky sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Jefferson County:
- Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)640,796
- Jeffersontown29,388
- St. Matthews17,806
- Shively15,850
- Lyndon11,221
- Middletown9,908
- Douglass Hills5,558
- Hurstbourne4,777
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Jefferson apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Jefferson County start with Kentucky's program:
Apply via kynect.ky.gov, phone 855-306-8959, or in person; PDS enrollment goes through the case manager or the regional Area Development District/AAA.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Kentucky program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Jefferson questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Jefferson County?
Yes. Kentucky runs real Medicaid programs — like Participant Directed Services (PDS) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Jefferson County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Jefferson County?
Reported figures in Kentucky are around $29.04/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Jefferson County apply?
Families in Jefferson County start with the state, not the county. Apply via kynect.ky.gov, phone 855-306-8959, or in person; PDS enrollment goes through the case manager or the regional Area Development District/AAA.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Jefferson County?
Sometimes — it depends on the program. The fine print for Kentucky: limited — under the HCB waiver a spouse can be paid through Participant Directed Services only with written state approval (907 KAR 7:010); the Michelle P. waiver allows spouses, up to 40 hours a week
How many people in Jefferson County might need this?
141,200 residents of Jefferson County are 65 or older and about 14,000 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. Kentucky's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Jefferson do you cover?
All of Jefferson County — including Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), Jeffersontown, St. Matthews, Shively and Lyndon. Eligibility is set by Kentucky, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Kentucky'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 Jefferson County
Start with the Kentucky caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Jefferson
The counties Jefferson 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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