Resource Center
In-Home Care (non-medical)
To achieve the goal of aging-in-place, many seniors and their families turn to in-home, non-medical care services that bridge the gap between complete independence and more restrictive care settings. These supportive services focus on enhancing quality of life and maintaining dignity while addressing the practical challenges that can make independent living difficult as we age. From assistance with activities of daily living like bathing, dressing, and meal preparation to companionship that alleviates isolation, non-medical caregivers provide the flexible support that allows seniors to remain in familiar surroundings where memories and comfort reside.
Unlike medical in-home healthcare, non-medical in-home care emphasizes lifestyle support rather than clinical interventions, though both may work in tandem for seniors with complex needs. Professional caregivers become trusted partners in daily routines, providing medication reminders (though not administering medications), transportation to appointments and social activities, light housekeeping, and the reassuring presence of someone who can respond quickly if problems arise. This personalized approach allows care plans to evolve with changing needs—starting perhaps with just a few hours weekly for household tasks and gradually expanding as required.
For families balancing career demands, geographic distance, and their own household responsibilities, professional in-home care offers peace of mind and practical support that complements their involvement while preventing caregiver burnout. Since these services need to be contracted and managed, you will likely want to track them in KareTeam. What's more, as needs increase, and as family and friends understandably become more strained, it's common that these in-home care services will play an increasing role in your age-in-place plans.
In-Home Care Aging Services
These services are typically provided by non-medical caregivers, though the specific offerings may vary by agency and caregiver qualification level. Services can usually be customized to meet individual needs and preferences, with care plans adjusted as requirements change over time.
Personal Care Assistance
Personal care assistance addresses the intimate activities of daily living that become challenging with age. Compassionate caregivers provide dignified support with bathing, toileting, grooming, and dressing—fundamental tasks for both physical health and emotional well-being. This hands-on care preserves as much independence as possible while ensuring safety. Professional caregivers bring both technical skill and emotional sensitivity to these interactions, creating a respectful environment where seniors maintain personal standards despite physical limitations. This approach prevents the discomfort that can arise when family members must assist with intimate care, ultimately supporting both health outcomes and quality of life for those aging in place. - Bathing, showering, and personal hygiene support - Toileting assistance and incontinence care - Dressing and clothing selection help - Grooming, including hair care and shaving - Oral hygiene and denture care - Mobility assistance during personal care routines - Skin care and pressure sore prevention - Assistance with adaptive equipment for self-care
Household Support
Household support services maintain a clean, safe, and organized living environment for seniors when physical limitations make home maintenance challenging. Professional caregivers handle essential housekeeping tasks that directly impact health, safety, and quality of life while preserving the comfort and familiarity that make a house a home. This practical assistance prevents the household deterioration that often triggers moves to more restrictive settings, allowing seniors to maintain their standards of living and sense of pride in their surroundings while reducing the burden on family members who might otherwise struggle to maintain multiple households. - Light housekeeping including dusting, vacuuming, and surface sanitization - Laundry services and changing bed linens - Kitchen cleaning and organization of food storage areas - Bathroom cleaning and disinfection - Trash removal and recycling management - Decluttering and organization to reduce fall hazards - Seasonal tasks like light decorating or closet rotation - Plant watering and basic pet care assistance
Meal Related Services
Meal-related services address one of the most fundamental aspects of health and well-being for seniors aging in place—proper nutrition and hydration. Professional caregivers support the entire meal process, from planning menus that accommodate dietary restrictions and preferences to grocery shopping, preparation, and cleanup. This comprehensive approach ensures seniors receive regular, nutritious meals that maintain health, energy, and medication effectiveness while eliminating the physical demands of cooking that can become challenging with age. Beyond the nutritional benefits, mealtime assistance preserves the social and emotional aspects of dining that contribute significantly to quality of life, transforming a potential health risk into an opportunity for enjoyment and connection. - Grocery shopping with attention to preferences, budget, and dietary needs - Meal planning that balances nutrition, variety, and medical requirements - Food preparation ranging from simple meals to complete cooking - Special diet accommodation (low-sodium, diabetic, soft foods, etc.) - Physical assistance with eating when needed - Hydration monitoring and encouragement throughout the day - Kitchen organization and food safety management - Cleanup and leftover storage for future meals
Transportation & Errands
Transportation and errands services provide essential mobility support that helps seniors maintain independence, social connections, and access to healthcare while aging in place. Professional caregivers offer reliable, door-through-door assistance that goes beyond basic transportation to include physical support during outings, help managing packages and personal belongings, and companionship during appointments or activities. This comprehensive approach addresses the transportation gap that often develops when seniors can no longer drive safely, preventing isolation and missed medical care while reducing the logistical burden on family members who might otherwise need to coordinate these essential outings around work and other responsibilities. - Transportation to medical appointments, including assistance in waiting rooms - Accompaniment to social activities, religious services, and family events - Grocery shopping trips with carrying assistance - Pharmacy visits for prescription pickup and medication management - Banking, postal services, and other essential errands - Shopping for personal items, clothing, and gifts - Escort to hair appointments, dining outings, and recreational activities - Assistance with mobility devices and safe transfers in and out of vehicles
Companionship & Social Engagement
Companionship and social engagement services address the critical emotional and cognitive needs of seniors aging in place, combating the isolation and loneliness that often accompany aging. Professional caregivers provide meaningful human connection through conversation, shared activities, and genuine relationship-building that stimulates cognitive function and supports emotional well-being. This personalized social interaction helps maintain a senior's sense of identity, purpose, and connection to the world beyond their immediate physical environment. Beyond simple presence, trained companions actively engage seniors in ways that respect their life history, interests, and cognitive abilities, creating moments of joy and meaning that enhance quality of life and have been shown to positively impact both mental and physical health outcomes. - Engaging conversation and active listening - Reminiscence activities that honor life history and experiences - Cognitive stimulation through games, puzzles, and discussion - Reading books, newspapers, or correspondence aloud - Assistance with hobbies, crafts, and creative expression - Technology support for video calls with family and friends - Accompaniment to community events and social gatherings - Facilitation of life review and legacy projects
Safety & Supervision
Safety and supervision services provide essential oversight and preventive care that allows seniors with physical limitations or cognitive challenges to remain safely in their homes. Professional caregivers maintain vigilant attention to both environmental hazards and changes in a senior's condition, implementing proactive measures to prevent accidents, health complications, and wandering while preserving as much independence as possible. This watchful presence offers peace of mind to family members who cannot be present 24/7 while creating a protective environment that balances safety with dignity and autonomy. For seniors with memory impairments, consistent supervision prevents dangerous situations like leaving appliances on, exiting the home unsafely, or missing critical medications, addressing one of the primary concerns that might otherwise necessitate facility-based care. - Fall prevention through environmental monitoring and assistance with mobility - Medication reminders and oversight to ensure proper timing and dosage - Wandering prevention for those with cognitive impairment - Monitoring of changes in physical condition, behavior, or cognitive status - Assistance with prescribed exercise and therapy programs - Home safety checks for hazards like tripping risks or fire dangers - Supervision during potentially risky activities like bathing or cooking - Emergency response and communication with family or medical providers
Specialized Care Support
Specialized care support addresses the unique challenges presented by specific health conditions, recovery situations, or end-of-life needs that require enhanced caregiver skills and knowledge. Professional caregivers with specialized training provide targeted interventions and approaches tailored to conditions like dementia, Parkinson's disease, or post-stroke recovery, implementing evidence-based techniques that improve outcomes and quality of life. This specialized expertise fills the critical gap between non-medical supportive care and skilled nursing, allowing many seniors with complex needs to remain safely at home rather than requiring facility-based care. For families navigating difficult health journeys with their loved ones, these specialized services offer both practical support and valuable guidance from caregivers who understand the unique progression and challenges of specific conditions. - Dementia care with specialized communication techniques and engagement strategies - Parkinson's support focused on mobility assistance and fall prevention - Post-hospitalization recovery care to prevent readmissions - End-of-life comfort care and family support - Stroke recovery assistance with daily living adaptations - Specialized positioning and transfer techniques for limited mobility - Respiratory care support including oxygen management - Diabetes management assistance including diet and monitoring
Care Coordination
Care coordination services provide the organizational framework that ensures all aspects of a senior's care work together seamlessly to support their health and well-being. Professional caregivers serve as vigilant observers, detailed record-keepers, and effective communicators who maintain the critical flow of information between healthcare providers, family members, and other care team participants. This coordination function prevents dangerous gaps in care, reduces duplication of services, and ensures that important changes in condition are promptly addressed by the appropriate professionals. For family members who often struggle to manage the complex web of appointments, medications, and care instructions, professional care coordination offers both practical relief from administrative burden and peace of mind knowing that a knowledgeable advocate is overseeing their loved one's comprehensive care needs. If you plan to have a in-house care professional provide care coordination, you likely will want to include them as part of the KareTeam team of family and friends. That way, all information sharing and coordination will be on the same common system--KareTeam. Also, you likely will need to "upgrade" to a higher level of in-house care professional to get this level of support. - Maintaining detailed care logs and observation notes - Communication with family members about changes or concerns - Coordination with healthcare providers and implementation of care instructions - Medication inventory management and refill coordination - Appointment scheduling and calendar management - Facilitation of care team meetings and information sharing - Documentation of changing needs and care plan adjustments - Liaison with other service providers (therapy, home health, hospice)
Perspective on
In-Home Care Agencies
Care Agencies
It's useful to know that most home care agencies are franchise operations. In other words, a local business person buys a franchise for a particular geography from one of the home care franchise brands. Besides the brand name, the franchise provides some level of training on operating an in-home care business, as well as systems and marketing benefits. This isn't inherently bad--and theoretically the franchise brand provides some quality assurance among its franchise owners. But the system does create some variability in the quality from franchise owner to franchise owner.
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The big brands include: HomeInstead; Visiting Angels; Right at Home; Comfort Keepers; and the list goes on. The vast majority of In-Home Care is accounted for by franchise operations such as these.
Incidentally, there are independent In-Home Care operators. In any case, a simple internet search for "in-home senior care" in your location will likely generate a long list of both franchise-based as well as a few independent agencies. In some cases, healthcare systems may also be in the in-home, non-medical care in your location, though this is less common.
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Depending on geography, and the skills and credentials of the in-home care staff person you want, you can expect to pay $20 to $35 per hour.
The Staffing Challenge
The home care industry--and senior care industry for that matter--faces a critical staffing crisis as demand for aging-in-place services surges amid a shrinking caregiver workforce. This shortage stems from converging factors: unfavorable demographics with fewer working-age adults available to support growing senior populations; economic challenges including low wages and inconsistent hours that make caregiving less competitive than retail or hospitality jobs; and the inherently demanding nature of the work, which requires significant physical stamina and emotional resilience.
For agencies and families, these challenges manifest as high turnover rates exceeding 60% annually, scheduling difficulties that disrupt care continuity, potential quality concerns as hiring standards may be compromised to fill positions, and increased costs that affect both business sustainability and family affordability. Understanding this staffing challenge is important if you are looking to rely on in-home care services.
Agency vs Private Caregivers
Care agencies provide in-home services through a managed employment model where caregivers are hired, trained, supervised, and scheduled by the agency. This structured approach offers families significant advantages including thorough background checks, professional training, ongoing supervision, and quality assurance protocols that maintain consistent care standards. The agency handles all employment responsibilities including payroll, taxes, insurance, and worker's compensation, eliminating legal and financial risks for families. Perhaps most importantly, agencies provide backup coverage when a regular caregiver is ill or unavailable, ensuring continuity of care without gaps in service. While agency care typically costs more per hour than private arrangements, many families find the comprehensive support, reduced administrative burden, and peace of mind worth the additional investment.
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Private caregivers, hired directly by families without an agency intermediary, offer a more personalized but administratively complex care option. This arrangement often features lower hourly rates and potentially greater flexibility in scheduling and service customization. Many families appreciate the direct relationship with their caregiver and the elimination of agency fees from the cost structure. However, this approach shifts significant responsibilities to the family, who must handle caregiver screening, background checks, training, supervision, and all employer obligations including payroll taxes, insurance, and compliance with labor laws. While it may appear tempting on the surface to go direct, this direct model works best for families with experience in human resources management, a strong understanding of employer obligations, and the ability to develop contingency plans for caregiver absences.
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Also, you should be aware that if an agency caregiver offers to go direct, they are most certainly violating their contract with the agency--which raises its own set of concerns.