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Does Medicare Pay for Overnight Care at Home?
Date Updated: December 20, 2024
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Sarah has produced thousands of articles in diverse niches over her decade-long career as a full-time freelance writer. This includes substantial content in the fields of senior care and health care. She has experience writing about wide-ranging topics, such as types of care, care costs, funding options, state Medicaid programs and senior resources.
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Dr. Brindusa Vanta is a health care professional, researcher, and an experienced medical writer (2000+ articles published online and several medical ebooks). She received her MD degree from “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine, Romania, and her HD diploma from OCHM – Toronto, Canada.
No, Medicare doesn’t pay for overnight care at home. For at-home care, the public insurance program only covers home health care, which doesn’t include overnight services. Seniors must find other ways to pay for nighttime care in their residences or consider other care settings.
Medicare Funding for Care at Home
Medicare covers intermittent medically focused care at home for qualifying individuals. Medicare-certified agencies provide up to 35 weekly hours of home health care, although most applicants only qualify for up to 28 hours per week. It doesn’t fund continuous assistance at home. Instead, Medicare pays for part-time nursing and therapeutic services at home, delivered by medical professionals per customized care plans.
Such plans specify how often caregivers visit seniors at home and the duration of each visit. Standard home health services include:
- Skilled nursing
- Rehabilitation therapies
- Medical social services
- Dietitian consultations
- Home health aide assistance for those also receiving skilled care
Note: the insurance scheme doesn’t pay for nonmedical care at home, 24/7 supervision or companionship.
Options for Overnight Care at Home
Individuals can privately appoint care agencies to provide nighttime care in their homes. Depending on their needs, they may contract with home care agencies for nonmedical assistance with everyday tasks and companionship or home health care companies for clinical support and monitoring. According to Genworth’s Cost of Care Survey, the former costs about $30 per hour, and the latter runs around $33 hourly as of 2024.
Seniors can pay out of pocket or bolster their budget with loans or reverse mortgages. Plus, long-term care insurance typically pays out if individuals require assistance with several daily living activities. Similarly, VA Aid and Attendance allowance provides an extra payment on top of veterans’ pensions, which they can put toward private care. Older adults with limited funds might qualify for Medicaid home health care coverage, which sometimes covers overnight care. Additionally, VA funding for at-home care sometimes pays for 24/7 support.
Other Care Types
Residential care offers greater practicality, affordability and peace of mind for seniors who need nighttime support. Assisted living provides hands-on support in a communal environment for seniors with limited clinical needs. Many communities feature 24-hour staffing. Those who require constant supervision or overnight clinical attention may find nursing facilities more appropriate. Otherwise, specialized memory care communities offer 24/7 care in a secure setting for older adults impacted by dementia.