How much does in-home care cost per hour?

Updated October 6, 2026 · General information, not professional advice

How much does in-home care cost per hour?

Non-medical in-home care, such as help with bathing, dressing, meals, housekeeping and companionship, is usually paid by the hour. A large national cost-of-care survey of licensed providers found a 2025 national median of $35 an hour for a non-medical caregiver, up 3% from the year before.

• This covers both homemaker services (cooking, cleaning, errands, companionship) and home health aide services (hands-on personal care, not medical). The survey now reports them as one category because their prices have converged.
• Skilled private duty nursing at home is far more expensive: a national median of $90 an hour in 2025.

Rates in 2026 may be higher than these 2025 figures, and are much higher in some states and cities. Always get local quotes.

Medical care at home is different and billed differently. Skilled nursing visits ordered by a doctor are usually covered by Medicare for homebound patients, while private-duty nursing by the hour costs more than aide care and is usually paid privately.

What that adds up to per month

• 4 hours a day, 5 days a week (about 87 hours a month) at $35: roughly $3,050 a month.
• 44 hours a week, the survey's full-time benchmark: about $80,080 a year at the 2025 median.
• Around-the-clock care with shift workers can cost several times more than assisted living.

For comparison, the same survey found 2025 national medians of $6,200 a month for assisted living, $95 a day for adult day care, and $9,581 a month for a semi-private nursing home room.

What affects the hourly rate

• Location: state wages and cost of living drive the biggest differences.
• Agency vs. independent caregiver: agencies charge more but handle screening, training, payroll taxes, insurance and backup caregivers. Hiring directly can cost less, but your parent becomes the employer and may owe household employment taxes.
• Level of care: dementia care, two-person transfers or heavy lifting may cost more.
• Hours and shifts: many agencies set minimum visit lengths; nights, weekends and holidays may cost more.
• Live-in care: priced differently, often as a daily rate, and must follow wage-and-hour laws.

When comparing quotes, ask whether the hourly rate changes if care needs increase, whether there is a separate charge for mileage when the caregiver drives your parent, and whether a care manager visits regularly to update the care plan.

Medical home health is different

Skilled home health care (nursing and therapy ordered by a doctor) is billed differently. If your parent is homebound and needs part-time skilled care, Medicare covers home health services from a certified agency at $0. Medicare does not pay for hourly non-medical caregivers when that's the only care needed.

Ask the doctor whether your parent qualifies for home health before paying privately for help after a hospital stay; covered visits can overlap with privately paid hours.

Ways to pay for in-home care

• Personal savings and income.
• Long-term care insurance, after the policy's waiting period.
• Medicaid home and community-based services, which in many states pay for personal care aides, sometimes including family members.
• VA homemaker and home health aide programs, Veteran-Directed Care, or a VA pension with Aid and Attendance.
• PACE, where available, for people 55 and older who need nursing-home-level care.
• Area Agency on Aging programs, which may offer limited in-home help or respite on a sliding scale.

Some families mix sources: a few hours from a Medicaid or Area Agency on Aging program, family members covering evenings, and privately paid hours to fill gaps. A geriatric care manager or the AAA can help put a plan together.

How to get accurate local prices

1. Write down the tasks and hours your parent needs.
2. Get written quotes from at least three licensed agencies, including minimum hours and extra fees.
3. Ask whether caregivers are employees (not contractors), and whether they're bonded and insured.
4. Ask how they handle missed shifts and changes in care needs.

seniorcare.si can show licensed home care agencies near your ZIP code so you can compare local rates.