• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Alliance icon

A program of the National Alliance for Care at Home

Visit the Alliance
CaringInfo logo

CaringInfo

Resources to help people make decisions about end-of-life care and services before a crisis

  • Home
  • How to Prepare, Plan, and Be Present
        • I Need Help Now
        • Feeling overwhelmed? We have resources to help you sort things out.

        • Planning Overview
        • Topics
          • Advance Directives
          • Caregiving
          • Communicating
          • Financial Matters
          • In-Home Care
          • Care Outside of the Home
          • Grief and Loss
          • Rights
  • Types of Care
    • Types of Care Overview
    • Curative Care
    • Palliative Care
    • Hospice Care
    • Comfort Care
    • Bereavement Care
    • Difference between Palliative and Hospice Care
  • Insights
  • Resources
  • English
    • Español

How to Prepare, Plan, and Be Present \ Planning for In-Home Care

Planning for In-Home Care

Available in: Español

In 2021, an estimated 36 billion hours of unpaid caregiving was provided to adults who needed support with daily activities; this unpaid care was provided by 38 million individuals consisting of family members and “inner circle” caregivers (Source: AARP). Nearly half of these caregivers reported experiencing an adverse economic impact from caregiving and a majority reported an impact on their work (Source: Caregiving.org). For these and many other reasons, individuals and families may consider finding paid help to assist in the home.

Knowing when it is time to add in-home help, knowing what kind of help you need, finding that help, introducing them to the care environment, and successfully providing care as a team is a complex process. CaringInfo is here to help you navigate all the steps that come with in-home care.

In this section, you will learn about:

  • When Is It Time to Get Help with Home Care?
  • Preparing for In-Home Caregivers
  • Types of In-Home Caregivers and Care Services
  • Finding a Carer: Home Care Agencies vs Independent Care Professional
  • How to Pay for Home Health Care
  • How to Employ In-Home Caregivers … Legally
A person researching in-home care on a laptop. There are icons of a stethoscope, a house with a heart, and a dollar bill around the laptop.

Considering In-Home Care

Two people discuss in-home care. The person standing is talking about the home while the person in bed has questions.

In-home care support can bring relief for caregivers financially, physically, and emotionally. Recognizing when in-home care is needed does not come easy, though. And once the decision is made, preparing yourself and your home comes with more choices. We’re here to help you navigate the beginning of the process.

Learn about:

  • How do I know when in-home care is needed?
  • How can I talk about in-home care to the care recipient?
  • How do I prepare my house for in-home caregiving?
  • How do I prepare myself for in-home support?

Finding the Right In-Home Care Option

A person is considering an in-home care support team. Icons of a laptop, an information icon, and a magnifying glass are around their hand.

More than 4.8 million in-home carers — including personal care aides, home health aides, and nursing assistants — support patients with a variety of services (Source: Phinational). We’re here to help you find the right combination of services to meet your specific needs.

Learn about:

  • What are the differences between types of in-home caregivers and care services?
  • How can family and friends help with in-home care?
  • What are the differences between the different formal in-home care services?
  • How can I find the home health care help I need?
  • Can someone help me find formal in-home carers?

Paying for Home Health Care

A person is debating between using aid to pay for in-home care or paying out of pocket. Their arms are raised. Over one hand is an icon of an invoice, over another hand is an icon of a dollar bill.

Paying for in-home caregiving support can very daunting. Medicare, Medicaid, insurance policies, and paying for it yourself are all options that are available to you and we talk through your options and nuances to consider.

Learn about:

  • What options are available to me when I’m paying for home health care?
  • How can Medicare help me pay for home health care?
  • Does Medicaid pay for home health care?
  • What should I consider when paying for in-home care myself?
  • What do I need to know about hiring an in-home carer directly?

Further Guidance

You might find these topics relevant to your journey.

Talking About Serious Illness and Care
Serious illness is a communications challenge for everyone. We provide guidance on how to handle talking with so many different people - including ourselves.
Finding Care Outside of the Home
Alternatives to in-home care, or “care outside of the home,” are facilities that can give residents a level of continuous support that may not be possible when caregiving happens at home.
Financial Matters
Financial challenges often accompany serious illness and caregiving. Learn about the many sources of financial support and how it may vary from state to state.

Footer

CaringInfo logo

A program of the National Alliance for Care at Home

About

CaringInfo, a program of the National Alliance for Care at Home, provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers to make decisions about serious illness and end-of-life care and services. CaringInfo’s goal is that all people are making informed decisions about their care. Learn more about CaringInfo.

  • Donate
  • Contact CaringInfo
  • Licensing Opportunities

Find a Care Provider

Visit the Alliance to find a care provider in your area.

Start Searching

Alliance logo© 2025 National Alliance for Care at Home | Privacy

A Decrease font size. A Reset font size. A Increase font size.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.