The 5 Best In-Home Care Services for Seniors in Las Cruces, NM for 2023

Las Cruces is a bustling city of 112,914 located in southern New Mexico, approximately 40 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border and northwest of El Paso, Texas. Roughly 16% of Las Cruces residents are 65 years of age or older, which is slightly lower than the national senior rate of 16.8%. The city’s great for retirees concerned with keeping their budgets under control, as its overall cost of living is 15% below the U.S. average and its average price for housing is 25% below that same average. The main hospital in Las Cruces is Memorial Medical Center, which scores a high grade in U.S. News and World Report‘s annual hospital rankings for the quality of its chronic obstructive pulmonary disease care.

According to 2021 price data collected by Genworth Financial, the average monthly cost of home care in Las Cruces is $4,195. Home health care, which also offers in-home support but involves more of a clinical component, is performed by registered professionals such as nurses and doctors and hence is more expensive.

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

New Mexico’s average monthly cost for home care is about $350 lower than the national average, but it’s also $400 higher than that of Las Cruces. Data collected by Genworth Financial identifies southern New Mexico as among the state’s least expensive areas for home care. In Farmington, located in the state’s northwest corner, seniors pay $5,529 per month for home care. In the capital city of Santa Fe, prices go all the way up to $6,378 a month, which is roughly 35% more expensive than in Las Cruces. In Albuquerque, prices are fairly in line with the state average. 

Seniors who wish to age in place in Las Cruces but need the greater medical support of home health care can expect to pay $4,605 a month, while those who choose to move into an assisted living community see a slightly lower monthly expenditure of $4,495. Adult day health care averages $1,950 monthly; this option provides supervision and support during regular working hours when family caregivers may not be available. Nursing home care, which is best for seniors who need close observation of medical conditions, costs $7,336 a month, 43% more than basic in-home care.

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.