Deschutes County, OR
Get paid to care for your family member in Deschutes County, Oregon
About 46,900 people in Deschutes County are 65 or older — 22% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Oregon overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 3,870 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Agencies operate in Deschutes County, though families still run into gaps: no weekend coverage, a new aide every few weeks, hours that don't match real life.
Who needs care in Deschutes
- People 65 and older
- 46,900
- People 85 and older
- 3,870
- Median age
- 43.1
- Rank in Oregon
- 7th
22% of Deschutes residents
the age daily help usually starts
older than the country as a whole
of 36 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Deschutes County is a metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 3). Oregon as a whole is 20% aged 65 or older.
What Oregon pays family caregivers
$20–$24.10/hr
Source: Oregon Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Oregon's programs at a glance
- Independent Choices Program (ICP)
- Spousal Pay Program
- Consumer-Employed Provider program
- Spouse paid?
- Yes
- 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 Oregon guide →
Towns and cities in Deschutes County
Oregon sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Bend and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Deschutes County:
- Bend106,926
- Redmond37,626
- Sisters2,957
- La Pine2,566
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Deschutes apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Deschutes County start with Oregon's program:
Contact the local Area Agency on Aging / APD office or call ODHS at 800-282-8096 (ADRC 1-855-673-2372) to request an assessment and ask for Independent Choices or Spousal Pay.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Oregon program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Deschutes questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Deschutes County?
Yes. Oregon runs real Medicaid programs — like Independent Choices Program (ICP) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Deschutes County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Deschutes County?
Family caregivers in Oregon typically earn $20–$24.10/hr. The rate is the same across the state, including Deschutes County.
Where do families in Deschutes County apply?
Families in Deschutes County start with the state, not the county. Contact the local Area Agency on Aging / APD office or call ODHS at 800-282-8096 (ADRC 1-855-673-2372) to request an assessment and ask for Independent Choices or Spousal Pay.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Deschutes County?
Yes — a spouse can be paid here. The fine print for Oregon: yes — spouses can be hired under ICP and the dedicated Spousal Pay Program (spouse must enroll as a provider with the Oregon Home Care Commission)
How many people in Deschutes County might need this?
46,900 residents of Deschutes County are 65 or older and about 3,870 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. Oregon's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Deschutes do you cover?
All of Deschutes County — including Bend, Redmond, Sisters and La Pine. Eligibility is set by Oregon, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Oregon's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
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