Worcester Senior AdvisorWhat is the Massachusetts state Home Care Program?
The state Home Care Program, run through each region's Aging Services Access Point (ASAP), provides services such as homemaking, personal care, home-delivered meals and care management to people 60 or older living at home, with a cost share based on income.
In 2026 the income-eligible program serves people with annual gross income under $35,784 ($2,982 a month), and MassHealth members are financially eligible. Monthly co-payments run from $10 to $141 for one person with income from $16,292 to $36,598 (schedule effective March 31, 2026); above that, 50% to 100% of the cost of services. Anyone can get a free in-home assessment.
What is the Frail Elder Waiver?
The Frail Elder Waiver (FEW) is a MassHealth program for people 65 or older, or 60 to 64 with a disability, who need a nursing-home level of care but want to stay in the community; in 2026 it requires income at or below $2,982 a month and countable assets of $2,000 or less.
FEW services include personal care, homemaking, home health aides, adult day programs, respite, home-delivered meals, medication dispensing systems and emergency response systems, coordinated by a case manager. A spouse may keep up to $162,660 in assets in 2026.
Do these programs pay for assisted living?
No: the Home Care Program requires participants to live at home and not in an Assisted Living Residence, and the Frail Elder Waiver requires a community setting that does not include assisted living, group homes or rest homes.
That is the most common surprise for Worcester County families. For low-income assisted living, the path is Group Adult Foster Care with the SSI-G benefit, in a residence that accepts them; see GAFC and SSI-G.
Which agency handles home care for each Worcester County town?
Six Aging Services Access Points serve Worcester County: Elder Services of Worcester Area for Worcester and 14 surrounding towns, Aging Services of North Central Massachusetts for the north, Tri-Valley for the south and Blackstone Valley, Springwell for Northborough, Southborough and Westborough, LifePath for the North Quabbin towns, and Minuteman for Harvard.
| Aging Services Access Point | Phone | Worcester County towns served |
|---|---|---|
| Elder Services of Worcester Area | (508) 756-1545 | Auburn, Barre, Boylston, Grafton, Hardwick, Holden, Leicester, Millbury, New Braintree, Oakham, Paxton, Rutland, Shrewsbury, West Boylston, Worcester |
| Aging Services of North Central Massachusetts | (978) 537-7411 | Ashburnham, Berlin, Bolton, Clinton, Fitchburg, Gardner, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, Princeton, Sterling, Templeton, Westminster, Winchendon |
| Tri-Valley, Inc. | (508) 949-6640 | Blackstone, Brookfield, Charlton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, Millville, North Brookfield, Northbridge, Oxford, Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Warren, Webster, West Brookfield |
| Springwell, Inc. | (617) 926-4100 | Northborough, Southborough, Westborough |
| LifePath, Inc. | (413) 773-5555 | Athol, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston |
| Minuteman Senior Services | (781) 272-7177 | Harvard |
Source: AGE, Find your regional Aging Services Access Point.
MassOptions, 1-800-243-4636, can also route a call to the right agency.
At a glance
| Home care programs in Massachusetts | Are not | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | For people 60+ living at home | For assisted living residents |
| Cost | Free to low-cost below the income limits; percentage cost share above | Unlimited hours |
| Access | Through the town's ASAP | Through the nursing home or hospital |
Sources include M.G.L. c. 19D and 651 CMR 12.00, the Executive Office of Aging & Independence's assisted living pages and 2025 Census Report, MassHealth's 2026 financial guidelines, DPH and CMS, and the CareScout and VA rate tables cited above; see our editorial standards.
