.png&w=256&q=75){kind=small}
How Much Does Home Care Cost Per Day?
Date Updated: December 16, 2024
Written by:
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.
Reviewed by:
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.
Home care costs around $189 per day in 2024, per data from Genworth Financial. However, this represents the national median price, and precise costs vary substantially. Location, care services, visit duration and visit frequency impact home care agency fees. Seniors have several options to pay for in-home care.
Daily Home Care Costs Across the United States
The typical nationwide home care rate of $189 per day assumes individuals receive 44 weekly hours of care. This equates to 6.3 hours for care provided seven days a week or 8.8 hours for weekday care. Based on the same number of weekly hours, seniors pay about $5,720 monthly. Hourly, home care agencies charge roughly $30.
Standard pricing fluctuates among cities and states. Based on 44 hours of weekly in-home support, daily home care rates range from $94 in Mississippi to $311 in Montana. Toward the higher end of the monetary scale, prices run $283 in New Mexico and $273 in Washington. Arkansas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Alabama offer daily median prices of $119, $126, $132 and $138, respectively. Pricing variability exists at the city level, too. Missouri's median home care price runs $201 daily, but prices start at $157 in St. Joseph and increase to $220 in Kansas City.
Other Factors That Influence Daily Home Care Rates
Seniors require varying services to live safely and comfortably at home. Common services include help around the home, support running errands, personal care assistance and companionship. Agencies create tailored care plans to cater to individual’s needs and preferences. Some services cost more than others. For example, hands-on help with several activities of daily living attracts a higher price than a few hours of company and in-home enrichment.
The amount of time a caregiver spends at a person’s home each day also affects the daily price. Moreover, some seniors require 2-person visits, sometimes because of safety concerns. Agencies charge more for such care in pairs than for single-aide visits.
How to Pay for Home Care
Through regular Medicaid or HCBS or Demonstration waiver programs, most states fund non medical in-home care for seniors who meet functional and financial criteria. The VA also provides financial assistance for qualifying veterans. Other payment options include:
- Long-term care insurance
- Life insurance
- Private income
- Savings
- Reverse mortgage
- Loan
- Charitable grant
- Family assistance