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

The Caring 2022 Senior Living Report for Stockton rates the city 57th in the best places for older citizens to live in California. A number of factors contribute to the city’s worthy position, including affordable housing, above-average drinking water and lower levels of traffic congestion, which has the added benefit of better air quality. The city is also home to a vibrant arts and culture scene, with plays and concerts frequently performed in the Historic Bob Hope Theatre and Stockton Arena. Museum lovers have several to keep them satisfied, while seniors who enjoy the sea can sail from Stockton Marina. The city’s many hospitals include Dameron Hospital, St. Joseph’s Medical Center and San Joaquin Hospital.

There are also a number of home health care agencies delivering home-appropriate medical care and home care agencies providing nonmedical services, such as assistance with bathing and dressing. The median monthly fee for home care in Stockton is $5,482, which is  below the norm for California.

Below we’ve compiled a comprehensive directory of every home care provider in Stockton– 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.

According to the 2021 Genworth Cost of Care Survey, Stockton’s typical senior pays $5,482 per month for home care, which is the most affordable fee in Northern California. It’s also significantly below the state’s median of $6,101, although above the country’s median of $4,957. Although only 30 minutes south of Stockton, Modesto’s seniors pay more for their home care at $5,768, although not as much as their peers in Vallejo, who typically pay $5,958. Costs are higher still for Sacramento’s seniors, where the median fee is $6,292, as well as for San Francisco’s, whose median is $6,864.

In Stockton, seniors can expect to pay the same rate of $5,243 for home care or home health care services, while assisted living care costs considerably less at $3,500 per month. Nursing homes offer the most extensive and costliest type of senior care, with rates for a semiprivate room running around $8,623 per month. Adult day health care is the least expensive option available, with an average monthly cost of just $1,273.

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.