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Get paid to care for family in Union County

Most of the 4,200 people in Union County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Tennessee Medicaid can pay you for that work.

Union County at a glance

Aged 65+
4,200

20% of residents

Aged 85+
342

when daily help usually starts

Rank in TN
66th

of 95 counties, by residents 65+

Median age
43.3

close to the national average

The front porch of an ordinary home, typical of Union County

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Union 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 Union

What being a paid caregiver looks like here

About 4,200 people in Union County are 65 or older — 20% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Tennessee overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 342 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, 1.3 million people in Tennessee are 65 or older — 18% of the state, across 95 counties.

What Tennessee pays family caregivers

$11–$19.16/hr

Rates vary — check with the program.

Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.

Source: Tennessee Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026

Tennessee's programs at a glance

  • TennCare CHOICES consumer direction
  • ECF CHOICES
  • Katie Beckett (children)
Spouse paid?
Not right now
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 Tennessee guide →

Towns and cities in Union County

Tennessee sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Maynardville and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Union County:

  • Maynardville2,598
  • Plainview2,226
  • Luttrell1,086

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.

How families in Union apply

You do not need a county office to start. Families in Union County start with Tennessee's program:

Current TennCare members contact their managed care organization (health plan); everyone else calls their local Area Agency on Aging and Disability at 1-866-836-6678 to start CHOICES screening.

Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Tennessee program fits your family, then we help with the forms.

See if you qualify →

Union questions, answered honestly

Can I get paid to care for a family member in Union County?

Yes. Tennessee runs real Medicaid programs — like TennCare CHOICES consumer direction — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Union County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.

How much do family caregivers earn in Union County?

Reported figures in Tennessee are around $11–$19.16/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.

Where do families in Union County apply?

Families in Union County start with the state, not the county. Current TennCare members contact their managed care organization (health plan); everyone else calls their local Area Agency on Aging and Disability at 1-866-836-6678 to start CHOICES screening.

Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Union County?

Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Tennessee: no — spouses, legal guardians, and powers of attorney cannot be hired; adult children and other relatives can

How many people in Union County might need this?

4,200 residents of Union County are 65 or older and about 342 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. Tennessee's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.

Which towns in Union do you cover?

All of Union County — including Maynardville, Plainview and Luttrell. Eligibility is set by Tennessee, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.

Program facts come from Tennessee's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.

Nearby

Counties next to Union

The counties Union touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water.

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