Black families in Lansing
Nearly one in four Lansing residents is Black or African American, and many households already care for an elder at home without pay. Home Help turns that care into a paycheck — from the state, not from your family.
Licensed Michigan Home Help Agency
Get paid to care for your family member at home.
If you're already helping a parent, grandparent, or relative in the Lansing area, Michigan's Home Help Program may pay you for that care. We handle every page of the paperwork and enrollment — completely free.
Licensed MDHHS Home Help AgencyIngham · Eaton · Clinton countiesMon–Fri 9am–5pm
Granddaughters, sons, nieces, nephews, and other relatives can be the paid caregiver.
Yes — family members really can get paid.
Michigan's Home Help Program is a state benefit that pays for personal care so people can stay in their own homes instead of moving into a facility. Because it's consumer-directed, the person receiving care chooses their own caregiver — and that caregiver is very often someone in the family.
Paid by the State of Michigan
Payment comes through MDHHS, not out of your family's pocket. The care you're already giving becomes income.
Your loved one picks you
A daughter, grandson, niece, cousin, or trusted friend can serve as caregiver. Familiar faces, familiar home.
Enrollment costs nothing
We complete the application, coordinate the assessment, and follow up with the state. No fees, ever.
Who usually qualifies?
Every family is different, and eligibility is decided by MDHHS — but these are the situations we help with most often.
- A parent or grandparent on Medicaid who needs daily hands-on help
- An adult who needs help bathing, dressing, or moving safely
- A loved one recovering after a hospital stay or a fall
- Someone living with dementia who can't safely be alone
- A relative already providing unpaid care every week
- A family trying to avoid a nursing home placement
Not sure? Call 517-550-7311. We'll tell you honestly, in a few minutes, whether it's worth applying.
Free 2-minute eligibility check
Answer a few quick questions and we'll email you right back. No cost, no obligation.
Prefer to talk? Call 517-550-7311 — Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm.
Care that fits your family and culture
Lansing is one of the most diverse cities in Michigan, and the tri-county area is home to long-standing Black, Latino, Arab, African, and Asian communities as well as newer refugee families. We serve all of them — and the farming families of Eaton and Clinton counties — in the language they are most comfortable speaking.
Familias hispanas / Hispanic families
Care belongs in the family — la familia cuida. We keep your loved one at home with a relative as the paid caregiver, and we walk Spanish-speaking families through every MDHHS form.
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Arabic-speaking & refugee families
Lansing is one of Michigan's largest resettlement communities — Iraqi, Syrian, Afghan, Congolese, Nepali-Bhutanese, Burmese and Ukrainian families all call the tri-county area home. We can match a caregiver who shares your language, faith, food, and gender preferences.
هذه الصفحة بالعربية
Rural Eaton & Clinton county families
About one in five residents of Eaton and Clinton counties is 65 or older, often miles from the nearest agency. Home Help lets a son, daughter, or neighbor provide the care right where your family already lives.
Language help at no cost
We will find someone who speaks your language
Our website is available in English, Spanish, and Arabic. For every other language spoken in the Lansing area, we bring a free phone interpreter onto the call — you never need to ask a child or grandchild to translate paperwork for you.
- English
- Español
- العربية
- Kiswahili
- Lingala / French
- नेपाली Nepali
- Karen / Chin
- Tiếng Việt
- Українська
- Soomaali
- Dari / Pashto
Why families choose us
No pressure, no cost, and a real person in mid-Michigan on the other end of the phone.
Always free to your family
We never charge families a dollar for enrollment, paperwork, or payroll support. Our funding comes through the program, not out of your pocket.
A licensed Michigan agency
Great Lakes Home Care is a licensed Michigan Home Help Agency approved by MDHHS — not a call center or a lead-generation site.
Local to the Lansing area
We live and work here. Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton counties are the only place we serve, so we know the caseworkers and the process.
Family caregivers first
We believe the best caregiver is usually the person who already loves your loved one. We build every step around keeping care in the family.
Questions before you commit to anything? Call or text 517-550-7311 — we'll tell you honestly whether your family qualifies.
What we do for your family
Consumer-Directed Personal Care
Your loved one chooses who cares for them. A daughter, grandson, niece, or trusted friend can be the paid caregiver — care stays in the family, at home.
Home Help Program Enrollment
We walk your family through Michigan's Home Help Program from the first phone call to approval, and we file everything with MDHHS on your behalf.
Caregiver Payroll Administration
We handle timesheets, pay schedules, and state paperwork so your caregiver gets paid accurately and on time, every pay period.
Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Support
Bathing, dressing, grooming, mobility and transfers, toileting, and eating — the hands-on daily care that keeps someone safe at home.
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) Support
Meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, shopping, medication reminders, and transportation to appointments.
Three steps to getting paid
1
Call us at 517-550-7311
One short, friendly phone call. We ask about your loved one's needs and who in the family wants to be the caregiver. No cost, no obligation, no pressure.
2
We handle all the paperwork — free
We complete the entire MDHHS Home Help Program application and enrollment for you, coordinate the in-home assessment, and follow up with the state until it's approved. You pay nothing.
3
Your caregiver starts getting paid
Once approved, your family caregiver begins receiving payment from the State of Michigan — typically within weeks. We manage payroll from there so you can focus on caring.
Where we work
We're a local agency, not a call center. Our office is at 1760 Abbey Rd Ste 200, East Lansing, MI 48864, and we serve families across Ingham County, Eaton County, Clinton County.
- Lansing· Ingham Co.
- East Lansing· Ingham Co.
- Okemos· Ingham Co.
- Holt· Ingham Co.
- Mason· Ingham Co.
- Williamston· Ingham Co.
- Delta Township· Eaton Co.
- Grand Ledge· Eaton Co.
- Charlotte· Eaton Co.
- Eaton Rapids· Eaton Co.
- DeWitt· Clinton Co.
- St. Johns· Clinton Co.
- Bath Township· Clinton Co.
- Grand River / Old Town· Ingham Co.
Don't see your town? If you're in Ingham, Eaton, or Clinton County, call 517-550-7311 — we almost certainly cover you.
Questions families ask us
Straight answers, no sales pitch. If yours isn't here, just call and ask.
Can I really get paid to take care of my mom or dad?
Yes. Michigan's Home Help Program is consumer-directed, which means the person receiving care chooses their own caregiver. That caregiver is very often a daughter, son, grandchild, niece, nephew, or trusted friend. Payment comes from MDHHS, not from your family.
How much does your help cost?
Nothing. We complete the entire Home Help Program application, coordinate the in-home assessment, and follow up with the state at no charge to your family. We are paid through the program itself.
Does my loved one need Medicaid?
In most cases yes — Home Help is a Medicaid-funded benefit. If they are not enrolled yet, call us anyway. We regularly help families get Medicaid eligibility sorted out as part of the same process.
How long does approval take?
Most families are approved within a few weeks of the in-home assessment. Timing depends on MDHHS caseload and how quickly the assessment can be scheduled. We follow up with the state so nothing sits waiting.
Can a spouse be the paid caregiver?
Michigan restricts payment to spouses in most situations, but other relatives and friends can be paid. Call us and we will tell you honestly, in a few minutes, who in your family can qualify.
Do I need a certification or license to be the caregiver?
No formal license is required to be a Home Help caregiver. You need to pass a background check and complete enrollment paperwork — we walk you through all of it.
What areas do you serve?
Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton counties, including Lansing, East Lansing, Okemos, Holt, Delta Township, Grand Ledge, DeWitt, St. Johns, and Charlotte.
Do you speak my language?
Our team speaks English and Spanish, and we arrange free interpreters for Arabic, Nepali, Burmese, Swahili, Vietnamese, Ukrainian, Russian, and more. Call or text and tell us the language you need.
Are you a state agency?
No. Great Lakes Home Care is a private, licensed Michigan Home Help Agency approved by MDHHS. We are not the State of Michigan or MDHHS.
Ready to find out if your family qualifies?
One call is all it takes. We'll tell you in minutes whether your loved one is eligible — and if they are, we do the rest for free.
Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm