The 5 Best In-Home Care Services for Seniors in Saint Paul, MN for 2023

Rated in the Top 10 for access to health programming and recreational activities and 13th overall by Caring’s 2021 Senior Living Report, St. Paul, Minnesota, appeals to seniors because of its sheer number of parks, low-cost public transportation, and many events and attractions within walking distance of downtown. St. Paul’s has highly ranked hospitals such as Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Regions Hospital, and United Hospital. According to Genworth Financial’s 2021 Cost of Care Survey, St. Paul and neighboring city Minneapolis share the same average costs for senior care, including a monthly home care cost of $7,055. Home care includes assistance with housekeeping and errands as well as daily living activities. For limited medical services in the home, seniors may opt for home health care.

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

The cost of home care in St. Paul averages $7,055, which is $382 higher than the state average and more than $2,000 above the national average. The average cost in St. Cloud is lower. Rochester shares St. Paul’s average cost. In the southwestern part of the state, Mankato comes in with the lowest average in Minnesota.

Home care, which involves assistance with housekeeping and errands as well as tasks involved with daily living, costs an average of $7,055 per month in St. Paul. That’s the same cost as home health care, which adds limited medical care services in the home, for an average of $1,892 more than assisted living — but $4,653 less than a semiprivate room in a nursing home. Adult day care provides programming outside the home, during weekday business hours only, for less than a third of the price.

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.