The 10 Best Home Care Agencies for Seniors in Highland Park, IL for 2024

Highland Park is a northern suburb of Chicago located on Lake Michigan made up of about 30,000 residents. With people 65 years and older accounting for 24.6% of the city — a very high percentage compared to the national rate of 16.8% — there is a thriving senior community offering a wide network of activities and services catered to older residents. The suburb boasts low crime rates, pleasant weather throughout the summer months and access to the shores of Lake Michigan. Situated just 27 miles from Chicago, Highland Park is a short commute to multiple top-tier health care institutions including Northwestern Memorial Hospital, which ranks eighth in the country for geriatrics, and University of Chicago Medical Center, which is nationally ranked in 10 adult specialties.

Due to Highland Park’s proximity to Chicago, the cities share an average monthly home care cost of $5,672, per Genworth Financial’s 2021 Cost of Care Survey. Home care provides seniors with nonmedical personal care, unlike home health care which involves light medical services.

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

Averaging $5,672 per month, home care fees in Highland Park are $333 higher than the state of Illinois, and $715 higher than the country. Michigan City, located just over the border in Indiana, and Rockford, on the northern Illinois border, are both comparable to Highland Park. Cheaper home care costs are found in the central Illinois cities of Kankakee, at $524 less, and Bloomington, at $619 less, but they are still higher than the nation’s average.

Home care costs in Highland Park average about $850 more than assisted living and around $50 less than home health care. Home care includes aid with daily activities, such as meals, grooming and dressing. Home health care differs as it includes medical services often performed by registered nurses and therapists. Seniors looking for the more intensive care provided by nursing homes will pay just over $1,300 more on average than typical home care costs.

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.