PA home care: how agencies are licensed
Pennsylvania splits PA home care into two kinds of provider. Home care agencies and home care registries provide non-skilled help — bathing, dressing, meals, companionship — and are licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health's Division of Home Health. Home health agencies provide skilled nursing and therapy, usually after a hospital stay, and are paid mostly by Medicare.
| Provider | What it does | Who you're hiring |
|---|---|---|
| Home care agency | Non-skilled help at home | The agency employs the caregiver |
| Home care registry | Refers caregivers to you | Often you, not the registry, are the employer — ask |
| Home health agency | Skilled nursing and therapy, doctor-ordered | Medicare-certified agencies are on Care Compare |
| Participant-directed Medicaid | You hire a relative or friend | The participant, with payroll through Tempus Unlimited |
The difference between an agency and a registry matters most for taxes and insurance. See how to choose a home care agency and home health vs. home care.
Home care agencies Philadelphia
Philadelphia is its own county: Philadelphia County. It has the largest number of home care agencies in the state, and many suburban families also look in Montgomery, Delaware and Bucks counties.
For home care, Philadelphia families pick from agencies, registries and Medicaid participant direction. Home care services Philadelphia agencies offer range from a few hours a week to 24-hour shifts. Some families search "home care of philadelphia" looking for one specific business; whatever the name, check its license with the Department of Health before you sign.
Caregivers Philadelphia families hire
Most caregivers Philadelphia families rely on are either agency employees or relatives paid through Medicaid. If you're comparing the two, see agency care vs. a paid family caregiver.
Home health care agencies Philadelphia
Home health care Philadelphia hospitals arrange at discharge is skilled care — nursing, physical therapy, wound care — from a Medicare-certified home health agency. You can choose which one. Home health care agencies Philadelphia hospitals list, and any other home healthcare agencies Philadelphia offers, appear on Medicare Care Compare with star ratings and patient survey results.
Home health care Philadelphia, PA patients get from Medicare is part-time and short-term. When it ends, families who still need help usually move to a home care agency or to Medicaid. A home health agency Philadelphia-based may also run a home care division; ask which license covers the service you're getting. For home health, Philadelphia families should ask the same vetting questions as for any agency.
Home health aide Philadelphia
A home health aide Philadelphia agencies send may work for a home health agency (skilled care, supervised by a nurse) or a home care agency (daily help). A home health aide agency Philadelphia families hire should tell you which. If you work as a home health aide, Philadelphia, PA agencies are a large job market; see caregiver jobs and our home health aide guide.
Best home care agency in Philadelphia: how to judge
There's no official ranking of the best home care agency in Philadelphia, and paid "best of" lists are advertising. What you can actually check:
- License. Home care agencies and registries must be licensed by the PA Department of Health. Ask for the license and confirm it.
- Employee or referral? A registry may make you the employer, with tax and insurance duties.
- Medicaid. If your relative is on Community HealthChoices, the agency must be in the managed care plan's network.
- Supervision and backup. Who checks on the aide, and who comes when the aide is sick?
- The rate, in writing, including minimum shifts, nights and holidays.
Compare what local agencies do well and where they fall short in local home care agencies compared.
Highest paying home care agency in Philadelphia?
Aides often ask which is the highest paying home care agency in Philadelphia. We can't name one honestly — agency wages aren't published in any official database, and they change. What we can explain is what sets the rate:
- Who pays the agency. Most Medicaid home care in Pennsylvania is paid through Community HealthChoices managed care plans. The rate the plan pays the agency caps what the agency can pay you.
- Private-pay share. Agencies with more private-pay clients may have more room to pay above Medicaid-driven wages.
- Overhead. An agency keeps part of every hour billed for scheduling, supervision, insurance and taxes.
- Shift type. Weekend, overnight, live-in and high-needs cases often pay differently.
- Benefits. A lower hourly wage with paid time off and health coverage can be worth more than a higher wage without them.
If you're caring for your own relative, compare agency offers with participant-directed pay, which Pennsylvania reports at $13–$19 an hour, negotiated within county maximum rates. See family caregiver pay rates and home care agencies that hire family members.
In home care Pittsburgh (Allegheny County)
Pittsburgh is in Allegheny County, with many families in neighboring Westmoreland, Butler and Washington counties. In home care Pittsburgh families arrange follows the same state licensing as Philadelphia, and Medicaid runs through the same Community HealthChoices program. Hilly terrain and long drives in the suburbs make backup coverage worth asking about.
Find out in 2 minutes
Answer 5 easy questions. See your programs and pay before you share any contact info.
Home care Allentown, PA and Reading, PA
Allentown (Lehigh County)
Allentown is in Lehigh County; Bethlehem and Easton are in neighboring Northampton County. For home care, Allentown, PA families can check any of the home care agencies Allentown, PA offers with the Department of Health, and ask whether the agency serves both counties.
Reading (Berks County)
Reading is in Berks County. Home care Reading, PA families arrange, and the home care agencies Reading, PA families consider, follow the same licensing. Berks County's Area Agency on Aging also runs the Caregiver Support Program locally.
Home care Harrisburg, PA, Lancaster and York
Harrisburg (Dauphin County)
Harrisburg is in Dauphin County, with many suburbs across the river in Cumberland County. Home care Harrisburg, PA families arrange through Medicaid starts with the Independent Enrollment Broker, like everywhere else in the state.
Lancaster (Lancaster County)
Lancaster is in Lancaster County. For in home care, Lancaster, PA families in rural townships should ask how far an agency will travel. Ask any home care agency Lancaster, PA families consider the standard vetting questions.
York (York County)
York is in York County. Home care York, PA families buy privately comes from licensed home care agencies; home health care York, PA hospitals arrange comes from Medicare-certified home health agencies.
Home care in Scranton, Williamsport and Erie
Scranton (Lackawanna County)
Scranton is in Lackawanna County; Wilkes-Barre is next door in Luzerne County. The same state licensing and Medicaid programs apply.
Williamsport (Lycoming County)
Williamsport is in Lycoming County. In smaller cities and rural areas, agencies often can't fill every shift, which is one reason so many Pennsylvania families use participant direction to pay a relative.
Erie (Erie County)
Erie is in Erie County, Pennsylvania. Ask agencies about winter coverage and backup staff.
Pennsylvania Caregiver Support Program
The Pennsylvania Caregiver Support Program is run by the PA Department of Aging through each county's Area Agency on Aging. It's for people who are the primary caregiver for someone else, and it also serves grandparents and other older relatives (55 and over) raising children. A care manager visits the home, assesses the caregiver's needs, and builds a care plan.
This is reimbursement for expenses and services, not a wage for your time. If you want to be paid for the hours you spend caring, that's Medicaid — the next section. To apply, contact your county's Area Agency on Aging; see family caregiver support programs and respite care.
Get paid to care for a family member in PA
Yes. To get paid for taking care of a family member, PA families use Medicaid. People often call it the PA caregiver program, but the routes are Community HealthChoices (CHC), Services My Way and the OBRA waiver. In participant-directed services, the person receiving care is the employer, hires you, and Tempus Unlimited runs payroll as the statewide financial management service. That's how a caregiver for a family member in PA is paid.
| Relationship | Can be paid? |
|---|---|
| Adult son or daughter, grandchild, sibling, friend | Yes |
| Parent of an adult (21+) disabled child | Yes |
| Spouse | No |
| Legal guardian | No |
| Parent of a minor child | Generally no — CHC serves adults 21+ |
So if you want to get paid to care for a family member in PA, or be paid to take care of a family member PA-wide, the first question is whether your relative qualifies for CHC. To start, call the PA Independent Enrollment Broker at 1-877-550-4227, then choose participant direction with the plan's service coordinator. Enrollment slots are limited and a waitlist can form. See the Pennsylvania caregiver program and Pennsylvania spousal caregiver rules.
Some families would rather have a relative work as a home health aide for a family member, PA agencies included. Some Pennsylvania agencies do hire family and assign them to their own relative — common here — see home care agencies that hire family members.
Family caregiver pay rate in PA
The family caregiver pay rate in PA is negotiated per direct care worker, with reported pay of roughly $13 to $19 an hour, up to county-band maximum rates published by Tempus. A paid family caregiver PA families hire is paid for the hours in the care plan, so hours matter more than the rate. See Pennsylvania caregiver pay and compare other states in family caregiver pay rates.
A paid caregiver in PA is usually treated as an employee of the participant and receives a W-2. If you live with the person you care for, ask a tax preparer about the IRS difficulty-of-care rule.
CDPAP Pennsylvania and IHSS Pennsylvania: what people mean
People search for CDPAP in Pennsylvania and IHSS Pennsylvania because those are New York's and California's program names. Neither exists in PA. The Pennsylvania equivalent of CDPAP PA families ask about is participant-directed services in Community HealthChoices — the same idea: the person receiving care hires their own caregiver, who can be a relative.
If you've heard of "cdpap pa" from family in New York, read our CDPAP guide to see how the two compare, and consumer-directed care for how self-direction works in every state. New York readers: see home care in New York.
Home care Philadelphia at a glance
| Your situation | Best starting point |
|---|---|
| Coming home from the hospital | A Medicare-certified home health agency — home health vs. home care |
| Need daily help, paying privately | A licensed home care agency — private pay home care |
| On Medicaid, want a relative as caregiver | Participant direction in CHC — Pennsylvania caregiver program |
| Unpaid caregiver with out-of-pocket costs | Caregiver Support Program through your Area Agency on Aging |
For other states, see home care by city. Not sure where your relative stands? Check eligibility in two minutes.
Where to go next
Frequently asked questions
Who licenses home care agencies in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Home Health, licenses home care agencies and home care registries, which provide non-skilled help at home.
Can I get paid to take care of my mother in Pennsylvania?
Yes, if she qualifies for Medicaid home care through Community HealthChoices. She can choose participant direction and hire you, and Tempus Unlimited runs payroll.
Can a spouse be paid as a caregiver in Pennsylvania?
No. Pennsylvania does not pay spouses or legal guardians as caregivers. Adult children and other relatives can be paid.
How much does Pennsylvania pay family caregivers?
Reported pay is roughly $13 to $19 an hour, negotiated per worker within county maximum rates. Your total depends on the hours in the care plan.
What does the Pennsylvania Caregiver Support Program pay?
It reimburses out-of-pocket caregiving costs up to $600 a month, based on a calculated percentage, and up to $5,000 lifetime for home modifications and assistive devices. It is not a wage.
Is there CDPAP in Pennsylvania?
No. CDPAP is New York's program. Pennsylvania's equivalent is participant-directed services in Community HealthChoices, Services My Way and the OBRA waiver.
Which home care agency pays aides the most in Philadelphia?
No official source publishes agency wages. Pay depends on Medicaid plan rates, private-pay share, overhead, shift type and benefits, so ask each agency for its full offer in writing.
Sources: PA Department of Aging: Caregiver Support Program · PA Department of Health: home care agencies and registries · Tempus Unlimited: PA direct care worker pay rates · Medicare Care Compare. Program rules and rates change — always confirm with the program. Reviewed September 30, 2026.