Washington County, ME
Get paid to care for your family member in Washington County, Maine
About 8,540 people in Washington County are 65 or older — 27% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Maine overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 720 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 Washington
- People 65 and older
- 8,540
- People 85 and older
- 720
- Median age
- 48.6
- Rank in Maine
- 14th
27% of Washington residents
the age daily help usually starts
older than the country as a whole
of 16 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Washington County is one of the most rural counties in the country (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 9). Maine as a whole is 24% aged 65 or older.
What Maine pays family caregivers
$17–$27/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Maine Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Maine's programs at a glance
- Consumer Directed Attendant Services (Section 12)
- Home & Community Benefits (Section 19)
- Family Home Health Aide (children, 2026)
- 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 Maine guide →
Towns and cities in Washington County
Maine sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Calais and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Washington County:
- Calais3,105
- Machias2,060
- Milbridge1,369
- East Machias1,333
- Baileyville1,311
- Eastport1,292
- Jonesport1,251
- Lubec1,237
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Washington apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Washington County start with Maine's program:
Apply for MaineCare via My Maine Connection, 855-797-4357, or a district DHHS office; Maximus (833-525-5784) does the functional assessment.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Maine program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Washington questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Washington County?
Yes. Maine runs real Medicaid programs — like Consumer Directed Attendant Services (Section 12) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Washington County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Washington County?
Reported figures in Maine are around $17–$27/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Washington County apply?
Families in Washington County start with the state, not the county. Apply for MaineCare via My Maine Connection, 855-797-4357, or a district DHHS office; Maximus (833-525-5784) does the functional assessment.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Washington County?
Sometimes — it depends on the program. The fine print for Maine: limited — spouses/legally responsible relatives excluded from CDAS and Section 19 hires, EXCEPT Resolves 2019 ch.104 lets a spouse be paid as a Personal Support Specialist for members needing extraordinary care
How many people in Washington County might need this?
8,540 residents of Washington County are 65 or older and about 720 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. Maine's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Washington do you cover?
All of Washington County — including Calais, Machias, Milbridge, East Machias and Baileyville. Eligibility is set by Maine, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Maine's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
More Maine counties
The programs are the same statewide — pick your county:
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