Royal Oak is a dense, walkable inner suburb with a younger overall population, but it still has pockets of longtime residents in its older neighborhoods who are exactly the families Home Help was built for — people who'd strongly prefer to stay in the home and community they know.
The Home Help Program works the same way across all of Oakland County — Royal Oak residents apply through the same county MDHHS office, go through the same MDHHS-5534 home assessment, and are paid at the same statewide rate of $17.13/hr once approved and enrolled in CHAMPS. What differs city to city isn't the program rules, it's the local context families are navigating around it.
If you're in Royal Oak and think a parent, grandparent, or other loved one might qualify, the fastest way to find out is our full eligibility checklist, which covers the 2026 asset limits and the functional ADL test MDHHS uses. If you're specifically wondering whether you personally could become the paid caregiver, our self-direction guide covers exactly who can and can't be paid.
For your local MDHHS office's current contact details, MDHHS's own directory is the most reliable source — see our Oakland County guide for the direct link, plus more on what makes care planning in Oakland County a little different.
Both paths are available to Royal Oak families. A self-directed family caregiver keeps the full hourly rate and keeps care inside the family; a licensed provider agency takes on hiring, payroll, and backup coverage in exchange for a share of the billing. Our family vs. agency comparison breaks down the trade-offs plainly.
We'll help Royal Oak families figure out the right next step — no obligation.
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