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How Much Does Live-In Home Care Cost?
Date Updated: December 16, 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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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.
Live-in home care costs roughly $21,840 per month in 2024, based on figures from Genworth Financial’s Cost of Care Survey. Because financial assistance programs don’t cover 24-hour non medical home care, the high price tag might make residential care settings more practical, affordable and appealing.
Live-In Home Care Costs Across the United States
Nationwide, the median hourly home care rate runs $30. This results in a daily fee of about $722 and a typical monthly charge of almost $22,000 for full-time care. Home care prices vary significantly from state to state. For example, around-the-clock care costs roughly $36,036 per month in Montana, $31,668 in Washington, $25,479 in Colorado, $18,201 in Georgia and $10,920 in Mississippi.
Other aspects also affect monthly costs, including which care services an individual needs and the frequency of care services — for example, whether a live-in caregiver can sleep uninterrupted most nights or must wake frequently to provide services each night.
Paying for Live-In Home Care
In-home care provides hands-on assistance in a senior’s private residence, including help with personal care and household tasks. Depending on an individual’s needs, it includes companionship and local transportation. Conversely, home health care agencies deliver part-time medical and therapeutic services in a person’s home. While Medicaid and VA benefits cover 24-hour medical services in limited situations for qualifying seniors, public funding doesn’t pay for around-the-clock home care.
Although Medicaid and VA benefits might provide partial funding, most individuals pay substantial amounts out of pocket for live-in care. Alongside using private income and savings, long-term care insurance and reverse mortgages may make costs more manageable.
Alternative Care Settings
Although many seniors prefer to age at home, high costs often present a barrier for those needing 24-hour support or supervision. Residential options offer greater affordability. For example, the median monthly price for assisted living runs $5,350 across the country, and common nursing home fees stand at $9,733 for a private room and $8,669 for semi-private accommodations. Specialized memory care communities support those with dementia and generally cost more than assisted living but less than skilled nursing.