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How Much Does Home Care Cost Per Day?
Date Updated: December 8, 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.
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Kristi Bickmann, a licensed Long-Term Care Specialist, represents top-rated "Traditional" & "Hybrid" LTC companies. Serving associations such as the American Nurses Association, she's a licensed insurance agent in 27 states. Specializing in insurance products for seniors, Kristi helps hundreds of families every year protect assets, retirement, and loved ones. She understands aging concerns firsthand, having assisted her own parents. Kristi ensures accuracy on topics about senior long-term care and its consequences.
Home care costs $189 per day, according to Genworth’s 2024 Cost of Care Survey. However, this represents the nationwide median rate, so prices vary significantly across the country. Most in-home care agencies charge by the hour, which substantially affects how much individuals pay.
Factors Affecting Home Care Costs
Based on receiving 44 care hours per week, the median daily home care rate stands at $189 in the United States. This cost differs from medically focused home health care, which attracts a higher median daily price of $207. Hourly, home care agencies typically charge $30, while home health care runs $33.
Location affects average home care costs, with median daily prices of $311 in Montana, $239 in Hawaii and Maine, $226 in California, $195 in Connecticut and $141 in Texas. Additionally, fees vary among cities. In Florida, for example, the median daily price stands at $185. However, seniors typically pay $189 in Miami, $179 in Jacksonville, $163 in Tampa and $132 in Orlando. Rates also fluctuate depending on how many care hours an individual needs and the exact services required. Recipients tend to pay more for substantial assistance with everyday activities than for a few hours of light housework or companionship.
Paying for Home Care
Seniors have various options for paying for in-home care. In most states, traditional Medicaid or Home and Community-Based Waiver Services programs lighten the financial load for qualifying individuals. Public assistance also pays family caregivers to support their loved ones in some states. Similarly, VA benefits cover home care costs for eligible veterans, often through the Aid and Attendance benefit or Housebound allowance. In some cases, family members can claim a stipend from the VA when caring for loved ones.
Older adults can pay privately for home care services by using sources such as pension income and savings. Reverse mortgages provide an additional option for homeowners aged 62 and older. Borrowed sums become repayable following an individual’s death, often by beneficiaries using the home’s equity. Many long-term care insurance policies cover in-home care. Other possible funding options include financial support from loved ones and cashing in life insurance policies.