Non-medical home care costs a national median of $35 an hour, per the CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 published by Genworth. That is the number to hold in your head as you figure out whether caring companion home care is right for your mom or dad — and how many hours you can realistically arrange.
Companion home care is help with everyday life for an older person who is still fairly independent but shouldn't be entirely alone all day. A caregiver comes to the home and does the ordinary, human things: shares a meal, drives to the pharmacy, helps with laundry, keeps an eye on the little changes, and simply keeps your parent company. It is not nursing. It is presence, reliability, and a set of hands and eyes on a regular schedule.
What companion home care actually covers
The word 'companion' is doing real work here. This kind of care is built around company and safety, not medical treatment. A good companion caregiver blends practical help with genuine relationship — which matters more than families expect, because loneliness wears on health as surely as a missed pill does.
- Company and conversation — the reason many families start looking in the first place.
- Meal planning and cooking, and making sure your parent actually eats.
- Light housekeeping: dishes, laundry, tidying, taking out the trash.
- Errands and transportation — groceries, the pharmacy, doctor's appointments.
- Reminders for medications (prompting, not administering) and appointments.
- Help with bathing, dressing, and grooming when it shifts into 'personal care.'
- A watchful eye — noticing a new bruise, a change in mood, food going uneaten.
What it does not cover is anything that requires a license: giving injections, wound care, managing IVs, physical therapy. That work belongs to skilled home health, and it's worth understanding the line between the two before you hire anyone.
Companion care vs. skilled home health
Families mix these up constantly, and it costs them money and time. Here's the clean difference.
What it costs — and what drives the price
Companion care is billed by the hour, and the national median is $35 an hour, per the CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 published by Genworth — up about 3% from the year before. That's the middle of the market. Your actual rate depends on several things, so don't be surprised if quotes come in above or below it.
- Location — big-city and coastal rates run well above rural ones.
- Hours and consistency — some agencies have minimum-hour visits (often 3-4 hours).
- Agency vs. independent — agencies cost more but handle vetting, taxes, and backup coverage.
- Level of help — pure companionship costs less than hands-on personal care.
- Timing — overnight, weekend, and holiday shifts usually carry premium rates.
How to choose a provider
The best caregiver on paper can be the wrong fit in your parent's living room. Screen the agency, then screen the person.
- 1Write down the specific help needed and when — mornings, meals, driving, evenings. Be concrete.
- 2Get two or three quotes. Ask each for their hourly rate, minimum hours, and what's included.
- 3Confirm the essentials: background checks, caregiver training, liability insurance, and licensing where your state requires it.
- 4Ask how they handle a caregiver calling in sick — a real backup plan, not a vague promise.
- 5Meet the actual caregiver before the first shift, with your parent present. Watch how they talk to each other.
- 6Start small, then adjust. A trial week tells you more than any brochure.
Questions to ask — and warning signs
A trustworthy provider answers these plainly. Hesitation is information.
- Will my parent see the same caregiver each time, or a rotating cast?
- What exactly is covered at your rate, and what costs extra?
- How do you screen and train caregivers?
- What happens if we're not a good match — can we switch, and how fast?
- How do you keep me updated on how visits are going?
Warning signs worth walking away from: pressure to sign long contracts, refusal to let you meet the caregiver first, vague answers about background checks, no plan for coverage when someone is sick, and rates that seem far below market with no explanation. Cheap care that turns over constantly isn't a bargain — consistency is the whole point.
How companion care fits into keeping a parent home
Most families don't need round-the-clock care right away. They need to close specific gaps — a lonely afternoon, a missed lunch, no ride to the doctor — while keeping a parent in the home they love. Companion care handles the in-person hours. The trouble is the stretches in between: the long evening after the caregiver leaves, the weekend with no visit scheduled, the morning you can't drive over yourself.
That's the gap a daily check-in call can fill. Call Mabel phones your parent — say, your mom Margaret — every day for a warm, real conversation, and flags to you when something sounds off, like she skipped a meal or seemed more confused than usual. It's not medical monitoring and it's no substitute for a caregiver's hands. It's the steady daily contact that keeps the quiet hours from feeling empty, and often catches a small concern before it becomes a big one. Think of it as one honest layer alongside the human care, not instead of it.
- ✓Companion home care is non-medical help and company — different from skilled nursing.
- ✓Budget around the national median of $35/hour (CareScout 2025, Genworth), knowing your rate depends on location and hours.
- ✓Vet the agency, but meet the actual caregiver before you commit.
- ✓Start with the hours that close your biggest gaps, then adjust.
- ✓Pair in-person hours with daily contact so the quiet times are covered too.