When to Hire a Home Care Service for an Older Adult

Takeaways

• Home care services offer older adults assistance with daily activities, medication management, and transportation, allowing them to age in place as an alternative to assisted living.
• Hiring professional caregivers can reduce stress and burnout for family caregivers and may foster a greater sense of independence for the older adult.
• Key signs that it is time to consider hiring home care include difficulty with daily tasks, a preference for professional help over family care, or family caregiver exhaustion.

For seniors and their families, hiring a home care service can support independence for the older adult while reducing stress on the family unit. A home carer can assist with activities of daily living (ADLs), like bathing, dressing, preparing meals, chores like laundry and dishes, medication management, and transportation to and from appointments and outings. Skilled caregivers who are qualified nurses can also provide medical care for those with more complex medical needs.

When an older adult needs help with daily activities, this support can be invaluable. As an alternative to assisted living, a home care service can help people age in place in their homes, which many older adults would prefer. In fact, AARP reports that 75 percent of adults 50 and older want to remain in their homes as they age.

An Alternative to Family Caregivers

Many seniors rely on family members such as their spouses and grown children to provide unpaid support. Family caregivers may struggle to balance their own personal responsibilities and care for their loved one, leading to stress. According to Cleveland Clinic, an estimated 60 percent of caregivers say they experience burnout, a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion.

Meanwhile, older adults receiving care from a loved one may wrestle with feeling less independent, especially when the caregiver is their child.

Even having an in-home care person come a few times a week can afford family caregivers more time to meet their own needs and do things they enjoy. The older adult may also be more receptive to professional help from someone outside the family unit.

Care Costs

While in-home care has many benefits, it comes at a cost.

In some states, home- and community-based service (HCBS) waivers provide Medicaid funding for in-home care. These programs have stringent medical and financial requirements. Medicare may also cover some home care services for certain medical conditions if the older adult meets specific requirements. In either case, individuals who do not meet these requirements may need to turn to private care options.

As of 2024, the median cost of private in-home care in the United States ranges was about $6,000 a month. Caregiver qualifications, services offered, and location can affect rates.

Skilled nursing care provided by an in-home health aide is more expensive, with the monthly median cost nationwide approaching $6,500. Licensed nurses can provide medical care at home, including medication administration and wound care.

Most families seeking help with caregiving for an aging loved one must take cost into consideration. However, often just as important is knowing when it may be the right time to hire a home care service.

When to Hire a Home Care Service

When an older adult needs help with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and preparing meals and prefers to age in place, it may be time to hire a home care service. Here are some indications that it may be time to consider in-home care for an aging loved one:

• The older adult is having trouble with daily tasks. Signs that may raise concerns include a less clean home, infrequent bathing, and social withdrawal. The individual may seem sad, apathetic, or have lower energy.
• The older adult does not want help from family members. They may be more receptive to care from a neutral third party.
• Family caregivers are feeling overstretched and exhausted. They may even be experiencing personal health challenges worsened by caregiving stress or want more time for themselves, their work, or other responsibilities. Hiring a professional caregiving service can free them up.
• In-home care is the older adult’s preference for other long-term care options and is medically appropriate. While many seniors prefer to age in place, other long-term care options come with benefits like increased social opportunities or more affordable round-the-clock medical care. Be sure to consider the various benefits and drawbacks of different care options before making a decision.

When choosing a home care agency, you may also want to research whether the agencies you are considering are certified by an accrediting body. The independent nonprofit Community Health Accreditation Partner is one such organization.

Related Reading

• Basics on Medicare Home Health Care Coverage
• Getting Help While Providing Care at Home for Aging Parents
• Checklist: Hiring a Home Care Provider
• Home Health Care Services Underutilized by Seniors, Study Shows