Home Health Care Information

Today, home care in the United States provides a valuable and diverse service to many families. Currently, more than 20,000 agencies provide home care services to over 7.6 million clients because of physical disabilities, long-term health conditions, dementia, or terminal illnesses.

Types of Home Care Providers

Personal and Home Care Aides (aka Homemakers, Caregivers, Companions or Personal Attendants)

These individuals provide housekeeping and routine care services. They can clean client’s homes, do laundry, and change bed linens. Aides may plan meals (including special diets), shop for food, and cook. Aides may also help clients get out of bed, bathe, dress and groom. Some accompany clients to doctors appointments or on other errands.

Although personal attendants can be hired as independent contractors, we recommend that an individual access this type of care through reputable companies. These companies have done background checks and have bonded and insured their caregivers. They are not licensed by the California Department of Health Services to provide skilled nursing care.

Generally in home care agencies charge $16-$22/hour for a caregiver’s service. Some require a minimum of 4 hours of service for each day care is provided. At $175-$200/day, a live-in, usually signifies a caregiver who stays 24 hours with the client offering services for 18 hours and 6 hours devoted to uninterrupted rest.

Caregiving services are paid through long term care insurance or private funds of the client and families.

Fill out the companion care form to get more information on these services in your area.

Medicare and Medi-Cal do not pay for private caregiving services. Medi-cal does offer caregiving through its In Home Supportive Services program. Medicare provides services of client who meet their coverage criteria.