Non-medical home care costs a national median of $35 an hour, per the CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 published by Genworth, and that single number answers the question most families ask first. If you're weighing help for your dad who lives alone, or your mom who's shaky on the stairs, home care means bringing paid support into their own home instead of moving them out of it.
The goal of this page is simple: help you understand what home care actually is, what it costs and why, how to choose a provider you trust, and how it fits with keeping a parent safe and connected. No jargon. Just the specifics you can act on today.
What home care for a senior citizen actually is
Home care is help delivered where your parent already lives. It falls into two broad buckets, and knowing the difference saves you money and confusion.
Non-medical home care (also called companion care or personal care) covers everyday life: cooking meals, light housekeeping, laundry, grocery runs, reminders to take medication, help with bathing and dressing, and plain human company. Skilled home health is medical: wound care, injections, physical or occupational therapy, and monitoring by a licensed nurse. Most families searching for home care need the first kind — a steady, friendly presence and hands-on help with daily living.
What home care costs — and what drives the price
Non-medical home care costs a national median of $35 an hour, per the CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 published by Genworth — up about 3% year over year. That's a median, so your local rate may sit above or below it. Several things move the number.
- Your state and city — labor costs vary widely region to region.
- The hours — a few weekday hours costs far less than round-the-clock coverage.
- The level of help — companionship and errands cost less than hands-on personal care.
- Overnight and live-in care — priced differently, often with minimum-hour requirements.
- Agency vs independent caregiver — agencies charge more but handle payroll, taxes, backup coverage, and vetting.
For grounding, compare that to residential care: assisted living and full-time facilities often run several thousand dollars a month. Home care at a few hours a week is usually the more affordable starting point — and it lets your parent stay in the home they know.
How to choose a home care provider
The right provider is one you'd trust in your parent's kitchen when you're not there. Move deliberately and compare a few options rather than hiring the first agency that answers the phone.
- 1Write down exactly what help is needed and roughly how many hours a week — be honest about bathing, cooking, driving, and company.
- 2Get quotes from 2-3 licensed agencies, plus ask about independent caregivers if budget is tight.
- 3Confirm licensing, insurance, and that caregivers are bonded and background-checked.
- 4Ask how they handle a missed shift or a sick aide, and whether you get a consistent caregiver.
- 5Meet the specific caregiver before care starts, and watch how they interact with your parent.
- 6Start small, then adjust the hours up or down after the first couple of weeks.
Questions to ask before you hire
- Are you licensed in this state, and are caregivers your employees or contractors?
- Do you run background checks and carry liability and workers' comp insurance?
- Will my parent have the same caregiver most days, or a rotation?
- What happens if the assigned caregiver is sick — who covers the shift?
- Is there a minimum number of hours per visit or per week?
- How do you handle a change in my parent's needs or a complaint?
- Can we start with a trial period before committing?
Warning signs and common mistakes
A few missteps show up again and again. Hiring an unvetted caregiver off a classified ad to save money can backfire if there's no backup, no insurance, and no oversight. Signing up for far more hours than needed early on drains the budget before you learn what actually helps. And assuming Medicare pays for everyday home care — it generally covers short-term skilled care ordered by a doctor, not ongoing companion help.
How home care fits with keeping a parent safe and connected
Even good home care has gaps. A caregiver might come three mornings a week — but what about the long, quiet afternoons and evenings your mom Margaret spends alone? Those in-between hours are when loneliness sets in and small worries go unnoticed.
Families often layer a few supports: a medical alert pendant for emergencies, home care for hands-on help, and a daily check-in for the days no one visits. Call Mabel is a daily phone check-in companion — a warm, real conversation on your parent's regular phone every day, which can gently catch concerns early and give you peace of mind between visits. It's a complement to a human caregiver, never a replacement, and it's not medical or emergency monitoring.
- ✓Decide first whether you need non-medical help or skilled home health — they cost and cover different things.
- ✓Use the $35/hour national median (CareScout / Genworth, 2025) as a benchmark, then get local quotes.
- ✓Vet for licensing, insurance, backup coverage, and a caregiver your parent actually clicks with.
- ✓Start with fewer hours and adjust — don't over-buy before you know what helps.
- ✓Plan for the quiet hours between visits with a daily check-in or medical alert as backup.