What Is Home Care? Services, Cost, and Options

Home care is a professional service for seniors who want to receive supportive care in the comfort of their own home. This care may include companionship, help with activities of daily living (ADLs), home health care for medical needs, or a combination of these. Sometimes also known as in-home care or domestic care, home care may help seniors safely age in place and give family members peace of mind.

Personal care, or assistance with ADLs, is the most commonly used in-home care service. However, services are customized to meet a senior’s unique needs. Here are examples of other popular nonmedical home care services:

• Help with errands, cooking, and housekeeping
• Incontinence care
• Mobility assistance
• Specialized care and supervision for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia

Nonmedical in-home care services are usually provided by personal care aides. The role of a personal care aide is to provide companionship, assistance with personal hygiene tasks, and help with household chores. Home health care services are provided by or under the direct supervision of licensed nurses and therapists. The role of home health care providers is to monitor a senior’s health and deliver skilled medical and rehabilitative care.

A Place for Mom offers advice on caring for a parent at home, information on the different types of in-home care, tips on hiring a caregiver, and more. Our guidance can help you make informed decisions about your loved one’s care.

There are many different home care services that can help seniors preserve or improve their quality of life at home. These services are split into two main categories: nonmedical and medical.

Nonmedical home care may consist of companion care, homemaking assistance, personal care, or some combination of these. Older adults who live alone may benefit from companion care, which offers emotional support and socialization. For seniors who just need a little extra support around the house, homemaker services can provide help with laundry, chores, and cooking. Personal care provides nonmedical support with daily activities like dressing and bathing.

Home health care is medical in nature. It’s usually prescribed for homebound seniors who require skilled care at home for a health condition or after a hospital stay. Services can include skilled nursing care, like wound care and medication administration, and skilled rehabilitation services, like physical therapy. Home health care services are provided or at least overseen by licensed medical professionals.

The median cost of nonmedical home care is $30 per hour, according to proprietary data gathered by A Place for Mom. Where your loved one lives and the level of assistance they need are the primary factors that affect overall costs. The following articles offer a more in-depth look at home care costs and how they compare to the cost of other senior care types.

Families can hire a caregiver through a home care agency or choose to hire an independent caregiver directly.

Home care agencies can often reduce the stress of finding and managing an in-home caregiver for a loved one. They typically screen employees by interviewing them and doing background checks. Agencies match caregivers to a senior’s needs and personality and will provide a substitute if their regular caregiver is out sick. Agencies also handle payroll and taxes.

Hiring an independent caregiver usually provides more flexibility and offers the family more control over the interviewing and selection process. Independent caregivers may be less expensive than those hired through an agency, but this arrangement requires the family to take on the responsibility being the caregiver’s employer. This may include doing background checks, interviewing, scheduling, and administrative tasks.

Each type of home care provider has its own benefits. It’s important to find a caregiver who will get along well with your loved one and provide a high quality of care. The following guides cover everything you need to know about choosing a home care provider.