The 10 Best Home Care Agencies for Seniors in San Francisco, CA for 2024

Listed by Caring.com in its 2022 Senior Living Report, San Francisco, California, is both an ultramodern city and one with significant historical heritage. Gold Rush architecture and the city’s classic trolley car system coexist with state-of-the-art medical facilities such as UCSF Medical Center, a research and teaching hospital that has been recognized as one of the best hospitals in the country.

To help them to be able to remain in their homes and live happily and comfortably, San Francisco residents can hire home care services for help with activities of daily living, such as housekeeping, light meal preparation, personal care and errands. Home health care is also available and entails medical services that licensed professionals can provide in a senior’s own home, such as certain types of physical and occupational therapy. The average monthly cost of home care in San Francisco is $6,864, according to the 2021 Genworth Cost of Care Survey — but prices vary depending on the rates charged by individual providers and how many hours per week the senior needs the service.

Below we’ve compiled a comprehensive directory of every home care provider in San Francisco– complete with services offered and reviews from families who’ve actually used the service. In addition to our in-depth provider listings, we’ve compiled resources to help seniors and their families to access all the tools they need to age in place safely and gracefully.

The average cost of home care in San Francisco is a couple of hundred dollars more than the statewide average of $6,101 and significantly higher than the national average of $4,957. Those in the nearby city of San Jose pay the highest home care costs in California, while Imperial Valley residents in El Centro pay the least. At the northern end of California near the Oregon border, Redding residents pay an average of $6,673 for senior care. Home care costs an average of $5,529 for those in Fresno in the Central Valley.

Adult day care is the least expensive option in San Francisco, but this isn’t for everyone because adult day care programs typically only operate during daytime hours on weekdays. Seniors who need a clinical level of care typically opt for nursing homes, which is more expensive than other types of care. Costs are lower for those in assisted living facilities but rise to $7,150 for home health care, which differs from home care in that it provides home-based medical services, such as physical therapy and wound care. 

Given the high cost of in-home care, many people use one or more forms of financial assistance to cover the expenses. Below, we explain some of the most common sources of financial help for paying for in-home care. If none of these options are available to you, you can reach out to your Area Agency on Aging or Aging and Disability Resource Center to learn about local resources.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: Long-term care insurance covers expenses related to senior care, including in-home care. Depending on the policy type, beneficiaries may receive a cash payment to use towards long-term care or reimbursement for qualifying long-term care expenses. Note that there are limitations- typically a maximum benefit of $150 per day- and exact coverage terms vary depending on the exact policy, so always check the details.
• Medicare: Medicare does not cover in-home care because it is classified as custodial, or non-medical, care. However, some Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans, which offer expanded benefits, may cover in-home custodial care.
• Medicaid: Medicaid coverage of in-home care varies between different states because it is not a federally mandated benefit. Currently, all states cover some in-home care either through their standard Medicaid or a waiver program. The specific coverage rules are set individually by each state.
• Veterans’ Benefits: The Aid and Attendance benefit is a monthly cash payment that beneficiaries can use to pay for senior care, including in-home care services. To qualify for A&A, Veterans must already receive the VA pension and meet several additional requirements, including needing assistance with the activities of daily living. Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs to learn more.
• Reverse Mortgages: Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs) are federally insured loans that are available to homeowners age 62 and over. Reverse mortgages allow you to access a portion of your home’s equity in cash, tax free. Many seniors use reverse mortgages to finance their care expenses, including in-home care. Note that although there are no monthly payments due on reverse mortgage loans, borrowers do have to repay the loan once the last surviving homeowner passes away, moves, or sells the home.