Cost of in-home care in 2026
The most widely used national benchmark for the cost of in home care is CareScout's Cost of Care Survey (formerly the Genworth survey). Its 2025 results, released in March 2026, are the latest available:
| Type of care | National median |
|---|---|
| Non-medical in-home care (homemaker and home health aide) | $35 an hour — $80,080 a year at 44 hours a week |
| Skilled nursing at home | $90 an hour; $160 a visit |
| Adult day health care | $95 a day — $24,700 a year at five days a week |
| Assisted living | $6,200 a month — $74,400 a year |
| Nursing home, semi-private room | $315 a day — $114,975 a year |
| Nursing home, private room | $355 a day — $129,575 a year |
The in home care services cost where you live can be well above or below the national median. CareScout's own site has a cost calculator by area, and your state page shows which Medicaid programs can pay — for example New York, California or Texas.
Home care cost per hour
The home care cost per hour from an agency is a national median of $35, per CareScout's 2025 survey. CareScout now reports homemaker services and home health aide services together as "non-medical caregiver" because their prices converged — so the home health aide cost per hour and the caregiver cost per hour for companionship and personal care are now the same figure.
Why so much more than the aide earns? The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median wage of $17.21 an hour for home health and personal care aides in May 2025. The agency's share covers payroll taxes, insurance, training, scheduling, supervision and profit. That gap is why hiring privately, or through a self-directed Medicaid program, costs less per hour.
Agencies often set a minimum visit length, commonly a few hours, and may charge more for nights, weekends and holidays. Ask for the full rate sheet. The cost of home health care per hour for skilled services is different — see the nursing section below.
Full-time caregiver cost
The full time caregiver cost depends on the hours. At the $35 national median:
| Hours of care | Per week | Per year (52 weeks) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week | $700 | $36,400 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,400 | $72,800 |
| 44 hours a week (CareScout's basis) | $1,540 | $80,080 |
That's the typical in home caregiver cost through an agency. The at home caregiver cost of hiring privately is usually lower per hour, but you take on employer duties such as taxes and insurance — see private pay home care. Either way, caregiver cost drives most families to look for help paying.
Cost of 24-hour home care
The cost of 24 hour home care depends on how it's staffed. Shift care — several aides working awake shifts — is billed by the hour: 24 hours at $35 is $840 a day, or about $25,200 for a 30-day month. That's arithmetic, not a quoted rate.
The in home 24 hour care cost is often lower with a live-in arrangement, where one caregiver stays in the home and gets sleep and meal breaks. Agencies usually price live-in care at a daily rate instead. Read more in 24-hour home care.
Live-in home care cost
The live in home care cost is usually quoted as a flat daily rate. CareScout's 2025 survey doesn't report a separate national live-in figure, so get quotes locally and ask what the rate includes: sleep hours, breaks, relief caregivers and overtime.
The cost for live in caregiver care also depends on whether you use an agency or hire directly, and on labor rules for sleep time and overtime in your state. The live in aide cost through Medicaid is different: in stipend programs like Structured Family Caregiving, a relative who lives with the person is paid a daily stipend — Indiana reports about $46–$80 a day to the caregiver. See live-in caregivers and family caregiver pay rates.
In-home nurse cost
Skilled nursing costs much more than aide care. CareScout's 2025 survey puts the in home nurse cost at a national median of $90 an hour, or $160 a visit. That's the at home nurse cost for private-duty nursing — a nurse who stays for a shift.
The home nurse care cost is often covered when it's short-term and ordered by a doctor: Medicare pays for part-time skilled nursing at home for people who are homebound and need it. The at home nursing care cost for long-term, private-duty nursing is usually paid by Medicaid (especially for children with complex needs) or out of pocket. Families also ask about the in house nurse cost or in house nurse care cost for a nurse who lives in; that's rare, and priced individually.
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Cost of in-home care for elderly parents vs. other options
The cost of in home care for elderly relatives looks different next to the alternatives. Using CareScout's 2025 national medians:
| Option | National median | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Part-time home care (20 hrs/week) | About $36,400 a year | Needs help with some tasks |
| Adult day health care | $24,700 a year (5 days/week) | Family works days; parent can travel |
| Assisted living | $74,400 a year | Needs daily help, not nursing |
| Full-time home care (44 hrs/week) | $80,080 a year | Needs help most of the day |
| Nursing home, semi-private | $114,975 a year | Needs 24-hour nursing |
The cost of home care for seniors grows with hours, so it's cheapest when needs are light and most expensive for round-the-clock care. See assisted living vs. home care and senior home care.
Medicaid: the main way families pay
Medicaid pays for more long-term home care than any other source. For people who qualify on income, assets and care needs, it can cover personal care at home — and in every state and DC, a Medicaid program can pay a family member to provide it.
That changes the math. Instead of paying $35 an hour to an agency, your relative's Medicaid program pays you or another relative. See Medicaid home care, programs that pay family by state, or check eligibility.
VA home care assistance for veterans
Veterans have several options. VA home care assistance programs include:
- Homemaker and Home Health Aide care: a trained aide comes to the veteran's home to help with eating, dressing, bathing, toileting, mobility and shopping. Available to enrolled veterans who meet clinical need; a copay may apply depending on service-connected disability status.
- Veteran Directed Care: the veteran gets a budget for personal care and hires their own workers — including a family member or neighbor.
- Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers: a monthly stipend, training and other benefits for the primary family caregiver of a veteran with a VA disability rating of 70% or higher who needs at least six months of continuous personal care.
- Aid and Attendance: an added monthly amount for veterans and survivors who receive a VA pension and need help with daily activities.
Start with a VA social worker at the veteran's VA medical center; availability varies by location.
Home care insurance: what covers home care?
People search for home care insurance or home health care insurance as if it were one product. It isn't — several kinds of home care policies may pay, and each covers different things.
| Coverage | Pays for ongoing personal care? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Original Medicare | No | Covers part-time skilled home health, with aide visits only alongside skilled care. |
| Medicare Advantage | Usually no | Must cover almost everything Original Medicare does; some plans add extra benefits. |
| Medicaid | Yes | The main payer of long-term home care; can pay family caregivers. |
| Long-term care insurance | Yes, per the policy | Often covers home care once you need help with daily activities. |
| Private health insurance | Rarely | Usually limited to short-term skilled care. |
Medicare and home health insurance coverage
Medicare's home health insurance coverage is real but narrow. It pays for part-time or intermittent skilled nursing and therapy for homebound people, and for home health aide insurance coverage only while you also get skilled care. It doesn't pay for 24-hour care, homemaker services unrelated to the care plan, or personal care when that's the only care you need. Details: does Medicare pay family caregivers?.
UnitedHealthcare home health aide coverage and other Medicare plans
Families often type "united healthcare home health aide" or their own plan's name into a search box. Medicare Advantage plans, whoever offers them, must cover almost all medically necessary services Original Medicare covers — including home health aide visits when you qualify for skilled home health — and may offer extra benefits. Check your plan's Evidence of Coverage or call the plan. The same goes for other home health insurance plans: the home health care insurance coverage in the plan documents is what counts, and home health aide insurance for ongoing daily help is rare outside Medicaid and long-term care insurance.
Long-term care insurance and in-home care insurance for seniors
Long-term care insurance is the closest thing to in home care insurance for seniors. Most policies pay when you need help with two or more of six activities of daily living, or have a cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's. Most have an elimination period — often 30, 60 or 90 days — before benefits start. Some home health care policy designs pay a cash benefit that can be used for a relative; others pay only licensed providers. Non medical home care insurance coverage depends on the policy wording.
As insurance for elderly home care, these policies are usually bought well before care is needed; home health care insurance for seniors who already need help is hard to get. If you have a policy, file early — it's the most common source of homecare insurance coverage families overlook. Any home healthcare insurance should say plainly whether it covers home care and family caregivers.
Caregiver insurance: coverage for the people giving care
Caregiver insurance can also mean insurance that protects the caregiver, or the family that hires one:
- Home health agency insurance. Licensed agencies carry liability and workers' compensation for their staff — one reason agency rates are higher. See starting a home care agency.
- Private caregiver insurance. If you hire someone directly, check whether your homeowner's policy covers injuries to a household worker, and whether your state requires workers' compensation for household employees.
- Independent caregiver insurance. Caregivers working for private clients often buy their own liability coverage; insurance for private caregivers is sold by commercial insurers.
- Paid family caregivers. In Medicaid self-directed programs, the payroll agency typically handles payroll taxes; ask what caregiver insurance coverage — such as workers' compensation — comes with the program.
Whatever the arrangement, ask who is covered if the caregiver is hurt or makes a mistake. Insurance for caregiver services is easy to overlook until something goes wrong.
Affordable home care: how to lower the cost
Affordable home care usually comes from changing who provides the care and who pays for it, not from finding a cheap agency. Ways families find affordable in home care:
- Pay a relative through Medicaid. It's often the most affordable home health care arrangement there is — the program pays, and the caregiver is someone your family trusts. Check eligibility.
- Mix paid and unpaid help. An agency for bathing and a few key hours; family for the rest. See part-time home care.
- Use adult day care for the daytime hours — at $95 a day median, it's cheaper than hourly care.
- Hire privately for a lower hourly rate, handling taxes properly.
- Ask your Area Agency on Aging about sliding-scale services for older adults.
An affordable home care agency is one that's transparent: no hidden minimums, clear rates for nights and weekends. Compare affordable home care services using our guide to choosing an agency and local home care agencies compared.
Searches like "affordable caregivers near me" or "cheap caregivers near me" turn up affordable caregivers and low cost caregivers in private ads, but check background, references and taxes first. For affordable at home care, affordable home care for seniors, cheap home care for elderly relatives or an affordable home health aide, Medicaid and Area Agency on Aging programs are the reliable routes. Low cost in home care for seniors is often available through them — and affordable in home care for the elderly starts with checking whether your relative qualifies. County pages list local options: Kings County, NY, Los Angeles County, Miami-Dade County.
Free in-home care for seniors
Free in home care for seniors does exist, though usually in limited hours or for people with low income:
- Medicaid home care, which has no cost for most eligible people — the closest thing to free home care at scale.
- Older Americans Act services through your Area Agency on Aging, such as in-home help, meals and respite; availability varies by area.
- The National Family Caregiver Support Program, which funds respite, counseling and training for family caregivers through Area Agencies on Aging.
- Medicare home health, which is free home health care with no copay for eligible homebound people who need skilled care — including a free home health aide while skilled care continues.
- VA programs for eligible veterans (see above).
Free elderly care from volunteers, faith groups and senior centers can fill gaps too. For long term care assistance for elderly relatives, start with the federal Eldercare Locator, which connects you to your local Area Agency on Aging, and see family caregiver support programs and respite care.
When family provides the care: getting paid instead of paying
Many families reading about cost are already giving the care themselves. If that's you, the question isn't only what care costs — it's whether a program will pay you for the care you're giving.
In every state and DC, Medicaid has at least one program that can pay a family caregiver. Of the 51 jurisdictions, 29 publish an hourly rate, from about $11 to $29.04. Read how to get paid to care for a family member or check eligibility in two minutes.
Where to go next
Frequently asked questions
How much does in-home care cost per hour?
The national median was $35 an hour in 2025 for non-medical in-home care, including home health aide services, according to CareScout's Cost of Care Survey. Rates vary widely by area.
How much does 24-hour home care cost?
At the $35 national median, 24 hours of hourly shift care is $840 a day. Live-in care, where one caregiver stays in the home, is usually priced at a lower daily rate. Get local quotes.
How much does an in-home nurse cost?
CareScout's 2025 survey puts in-home skilled nursing at a national median of $90 an hour, or $160 a visit.
Does Medicare pay for in-home care?
Only short-term, part-time skilled home health for people who are homebound. Medicare doesn't pay for ongoing personal care, homemaker services on their own or 24-hour care.
Does insurance cover home care?
Long-term care insurance often does, depending on the policy. Medicaid covers long-term home care for people who qualify. Medicare and most private health insurance cover only short-term skilled care.
Is there free in-home care for seniors?
Yes, in some cases. Medicaid home care, Area Agency on Aging services, the VA and Medicare home health can be free or low cost for people who qualify.
Can the VA pay for home care?
Yes. The VA offers Homemaker and Home Health Aide care, Veteran Directed Care, a stipend for family caregivers of eligible veterans, and Aid and Attendance for veterans on a VA pension.
Can I get paid to provide my parent's home care instead?
Often, yes. Medicaid programs in every state can pay a family member to provide home care if your parent qualifies and chooses you.
Sources: CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey (press release, March 2, 2026) · CareScout cost of care calculator · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: home health and personal care aides · Medicare.gov: home health services · Medicare.gov: compare Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage · VA: Homemaker and Home Health Aide care · VA: Veteran Directed Care · VA: Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers · VA: Aid and Attendance benefits · ACL: receiving long-term care insurance benefits · ACL: National Family Caregiver Support Program. Program rules and rates change — always confirm with the program. Reviewed September 30, 2026.