Lackawanna County, PA
Get paid to care for your family member in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
About 46,000 people in Lackawanna County are 65 or older — 21% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Pennsylvania as a whole. Roughly 5,390 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Agencies operate in Lackawanna 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 Lackawanna
- People 65 and older
- 46,000
- People 85 and older
- 5,390
- Median age
- 41.8
- Rank in Pennsylvania
- 18th
21% of Lackawanna residents
the age daily help usually starts
older than the country as a whole
of 67 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Lackawanna County is a metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 2). Pennsylvania as a whole is 20% aged 65 or older.
What Pennsylvania pays family caregivers
$13–$19/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Pennsylvania Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Pennsylvania's programs at a glance
- Community HealthChoices (CHC)
- Services My Way
- OBRA Waiver
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- There may be a waitlist — apply early.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Pennsylvania guide →
Towns and cities in Lackawanna County
Pennsylvania sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Scranton and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Lackawanna County:
- Scranton75,905
- Dunmore14,249
- South Abington9,623
- Carbondale8,805
- Old Forge8,654
- Archbald7,508
- Blakely6,659
- Taylor6,252
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Lackawanna apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Lackawanna County start with Pennsylvania's program:
Call the PA Independent Enrollment Broker at 1-877-550-4227 (or its online Community Referral Form) to start CHC eligibility; then choose participant-direction/Services My Way with your MCO service coordinator.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Pennsylvania program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Lackawanna questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Lackawanna County?
Yes. Pennsylvania runs real Medicaid programs — like Community HealthChoices (CHC) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Lackawanna County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Lackawanna County?
Reported figures in Pennsylvania are around $13–$19/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Lackawanna County apply?
Families in Lackawanna County start with the state, not the county. Call the PA Independent Enrollment Broker at 1-877-550-4227 (or its online Community Referral Form) to start CHC eligibility; then choose participant-direction/Services My Way with your MCO service coordinator.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Lackawanna County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Pennsylvania: no — spouses and legal guardians cannot be paid; other relatives incl. adult children and parents of adult (21+) disabled children can
How many people in Lackawanna County might need this?
46,000 residents of Lackawanna County are 65 or older and about 5,390 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. Pennsylvania's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Lackawanna do you cover?
All of Lackawanna County — including Scranton, Dunmore, South Abington, Carbondale and Old Forge. Eligibility is set by Pennsylvania, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Pennsylvania'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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