Get paid to care for family in Orleans County
Most of the 6,820 people in Orleans County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Vermont Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Orleans County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 6,820
- Aged 85+
- 617
- Rank in VT
- 11th
- Median age
- 45.4
25% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 14 counties, by residents 65+
older than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Orleans County is one of the most rural counties in the country (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 9).
- 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 Orleans
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 6,820 people in Orleans County are 65 or older — 25% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Vermont as a whole. Roughly 617 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.
Statewide, 147,600 people in Vermont are 65 or older — 23% of the state, across 14 counties.
What Vermont pays family caregivers
$15.49–$18/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Vermont Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Vermont's programs at a glance
- Choices for Care (self-directed)
- Flexible Choices
- Spouse paid?
- Sometimes
- 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 Vermont guide →
Towns and cities in Orleans County
Vermont sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Derby and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Orleans County:
- Derby4,507
- Newport4,333
- Barton2,773
- Newport2,421
- Troy1,718
- Craftsbury1,309
- Irasburg1,214
- Glover1,096
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Orleans apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Orleans County start with Vermont's program:
Submit a Vermont Long-Term Care Medicaid application (DAIL does the clinical assessment, ESD at 800-479-6151 the financial eligibility); the Senior HelpLine at 800-642-5119 can help start the process.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Vermont program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Orleans questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Orleans County?
Yes. Vermont runs real Medicaid programs — like Choices for Care (self-directed) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Orleans County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Orleans County?
Reported figures in Vermont are around $15.49–$18/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Orleans County apply?
Families in Orleans County start with the state, not the county. Submit a Vermont Long-Term Care Medicaid application (DAIL does the clinical assessment, ESD at 800-479-6151 the financial eligibility); the Senior HelpLine at 800-642-5119 can help start the process.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Orleans County?
Sometimes — it depends on the program. The fine print for Vermont: limited — Choices for Care pays a spouse for hands-on personal care but not for household tasks (IADLs), in both consumer-directed personal care and Flexible Choices; legal guardians and the surrogate employer cannot be paid
How many people in Orleans County might need this?
6,820 residents of Orleans County are 65 or older and about 617 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. Vermont's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Orleans do you cover?
All of Orleans County — including Derby, Newport, Barton, Newport and Troy. Eligibility is set by Vermont, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Vermont'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 Orleans County
Start with the Vermont caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Orleans
The counties Orleans touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water.
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