Cost Considerations When Homecare Planning

If you are thinking about organizing some degree of homecare for the seniors in your life, it can be tricky to know where to start in terms of financing. The first step you should take is to get an estimate of how much homecare will cost for you, by taking four key factors into account:

• Where do the seniors live?
• What is their current level of health?
• How much care is needed?
• What type of care is needed?

First of all, geography is a big consideration when it comes to the cost of homecare for seniors. States and areas with large populations and large cities generally have a higher demand for homecare, meaning higher prices. 

That is why Washington and California have some of the highest prices for homecare (approx. $30 per hour) and Louisiana and Alabama have some of the lowest (approx. <$20 per hour).

Think about how many hours of care your loved ones might need. 

• Can they sleep through the night by themselves?
• Are they comfortable with most daily tasks but need some help with strenuous activity?
• Will they need help feeding themselves?

As a general rule, the more tasks that your seniors need help with, the more hours a caregiver would need to spend with them.

What type of care is needed?

This often depends on a senior’s current level of health. If they are suffering from a neurodegenerative disorder like Parkinson’s Disease, they will require a specially-trained caregiver. This often results in a higher hourly charge.

If the senior is relatively healthy both physically and mentally, they will likely not require extensive or complicated care. This will result in a lower charge.

What prices am I looking at for homecare?

Here are a few specific examples of weekly homecare plans that could fit the needs of your elderly relative:

• 7 hours per week @ around $700 per month. Seniors who are still able to retain most of their independence will receive everything they need from a few quick visits each week. This might include general housework, cleaning and meal preparation.

• 15 hours per week @ around $1,500 per month. This equates to a couple of hours spent with the senior every day, helping them with daily tasks like dressing, washing and cooking. This could make sense if your elderly relative is still physically and mentally healthy, but needs assistance with daily tasks.

• 44 hours per week @ around $4,500 per month. This kind of homecare plan might be suited for someone who works full-time during the week, but would like their senior relative to be cared for while they are away. A caregiver could take care of toileting, bathing and dining, amongst other daily tasks.

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Jack Vale is a writer from Happy Writers, Co. in partnership with business and personal checks vendor, Checkworks.