Caring for a parent in Michigan? Start here.
Plain answers about care, Medicare, Medicaid, and money. Plus local help in your parent's county, with the date we last checked it.
Where does your parent live?
Somewhere else in Michigan? Find statewide help
Something just happened?
Step-by-step plans for the moments that catch families off guard. Each one fits on a phone screen and prints on paper.
- Mom just fell. What now?What to do in the first hours and days after a parent falls, from the ER to making home safer.
- Dad was diagnosed with dementiaThe first steps after a dementia diagnosis, including legal papers, safety, and support for the family.
- Caring for a parent from out of stateHow to help a parent in Michigan when you live far away, with a local team, paperwork, and visits that count.
- A parent is being discharged to rehabHow Medicare covers a short rehab stay, how to choose a facility, and your rights if you disagree with a discharge.
Guides by topic
Written for Michigan. Every guide shows when it was last reviewed and links to the official sources.
- Housing and care optionsThe main places an older adult can live in Michigan, from staying at home to a nursing home, and how to tell them apart.
- MedicareWhen to sign up, what each part covers, and where to get free, unbiased help in Michigan.
- Medicaid in MichiganWho qualifies for long-term care help, the MI Choice Waiver, the Home Help program, spend-down, and estate recovery.
- Social Security and moneyRetirement and survivor benefits, SSI, VA Aid and Attendance, Michigan property tax credits, and help with utility bills.
- Legal and planningPower of attorney, patient advocate designation, guardianship, wills and trusts, and finding an elder-law attorney in Michigan.
- Caregiver supportRespite care, support groups, time off work, avoiding burnout, and ways family caregivers can be paid in Michigan.
- Health and safety at homePreventing falls, simple home changes, choosing a medical alert system, and keeping medications straight.
- Transportation, meals, and daily livingMeals on Wheels, senior centers, dial-a-ride, and rides to medical appointments in Washtenaw, Livingston, and Jackson counties.
- End of lifeHospice and palliative care, planning a funeral, and what to do in the first weeks after a death in Michigan.
Tools that do the sorting for you
Free to use. Nothing you type is sent anywhere, and the checklists print cleanly.
- Where do I start?Answer 5 questions and get a checklist made for your family.
- Care cost calculatorCompare home care, assisted living, and a nursing home in Michigan dollars.
- Medicaid pre-screenerA rough check of whether applying makes sense. Estimate only.
- Hospital discharge checklistQuestions to ask before your parent leaves the hospital. Prints on one page.
- Parent info binderDoctors, medications, insurance, and accounts, all in one printable place.
Local help, county by county
Area Agencies on Aging, Meals on Wheels, senior centers, rides, legal help, and Medicare counselors. Every listing shows the date we last checked it. Paid listings are always labeled Featured.
More Michigan counties are on the way. Until then, dial 2-1-1 from anywhere in the state.
Who's behind Silver Mitten
Silver Mitten is an independent guide run by Kirk Vantine, owner of KV Web Works in Dexter, Michigan. It is not a state agency and doesn't sell insurance.
Read Kirk's story- Every guide shows the date it was last reviewed and links to official sources like michigan.gov, medicare.gov, and ssa.gov.
- Paid directory listings are labeled Featured, and product links that pay us are marked. How we make money
- We never sell Medicare plans or pass your information to insurance companies.
- See something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it.
The Michigan Caregiver
A short email with one useful thing each time: a deadline coming up, a program worth knowing, or a local resource. Sign up and get the printable parent info binder right away.
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