In-home care: a guide for families
In-home care brings help to the person's own home, from a few hours a week to daily support. This guide covers the kinds of in-home care and how families pay for it.
Last reviewed October 27, 2026
General information only. This guide is not medical, legal or financial advice. Talk with a physician, and with an elder-law or financial professional where money or legal papers are involved, about your own situation.
What in-home care is
In-home care helps a person stay in their own home. It ranges from a few hours of help a week to daily support, and it can be non-medical, skilled, or a mix of both.
Kinds of in-home care
The Alzheimer's Association describes several common kinds of in-home services.
- Companion services: supervision, activities and visiting
- Personal care: help with bathing, dressing, toileting and eating
- Homemaker services: housekeeping, shopping and meal preparation
- Skilled care: wound care, injections or therapy from a licensed professional
How families pay
Medicare can cover part-time skilled home health care for people who are homebound. Non-medical help is usually paid privately, through long-term care insurance, through Medicaid home and community-based programs in some states, or through VA programs for eligible veterans.
Choosing an agency or caregiver
Ask each agency or caregiver the same questions so you can compare.
- Is the agency licensed in your state?
- How are caregivers screened, trained and supervised?
- Who covers a shift if the usual caregiver can't come?
- What does each service cost, and how is billing done?
Frequently asked questions
Home health care is skilled, medical care ordered by a doctor, such as nursing or therapy. In-home care often means non-medical help with daily tasks, like bathing, meals and companionship.
Medicare can cover part-time skilled home health care for people who are homebound. It doesn't pay for personal care like bathing and dressing when that is the only care needed.
Ask whether the agency is licensed where you live, how it screens and trains caregivers, and what happens if a caregiver can't come.
Sources
SeniorLeaf is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organizations listed here.