When families first start looking into care for a parent, the cost question usually comes before anything else. Can we afford this? For how long? Is it cheaper than moving Mom into a community?
This guide walks through the average cost of home care for elderly adults in the Sacramento area. You’ll see what an hour of in-home care typically costs, what that adds up to for common schedules, how home care compares with assisted living and nursing homes, and what Medicare and other programs will and won’t pay for.
Average cost of home care for the elderly: what to expect
Home care is almost always priced by the hour, and rates vary widely between providers. Published surveys, like the annual Cost of Care Survey from CareScout, report a single median across every kind of provider in a region. The rate you’re quoted will depend on the agency, how caregivers are trained and supervised, and how much hands-on help your parent needs.
At Premier Comfort Care, in-home care runs $55 to $75 an hour, depending on the level of care and the schedule. That includes Teepa Snow-trained caregivers for Alzheimer’s and dementia care, a focus on consistent caregivers (our caregiver retention is 65%, five times higher than the industry average), family portal updates, and a direct line to our owner, Mariam.
Home care costs in the Sacramento area
Most families don’t start with full-time care. Here’s what common schedules look like at $55 to $75 an hour:
| Weekly schedule | Hours per week | Approx. cost per month at $55/hr | Approx. cost per month at $75/hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 visits of 4 hours | 12 | $2,860 | $3,900 |
| 4 hours a day, 5 days a week | 20 | $4,767 | $6,500 |
| 8 hours a day, 5 days a week | 40 | $9,533 | $13,000 |
| About 6 hours a day, 7 days a week | 44 | $10,487 | $14,300 |
Want to know what care would cost for your parent’s schedule?
Elderly care cost per hour: what’s included
The hourly rate for non-medical home care usually covers a wide range of help, not just one task. Depending on the care plan, that can include:
- Personal care: bathing, dressing, grooming and toileting
- Mobility help: transfers, walking support and fall-risk awareness
- Household help: meal preparation, light housekeeping and laundry
- Errands and transportation: grocery shopping, appointments and outings
- Companionship: conversation, activities and simply being there
- Medication reminders (non-medical caregivers remind; they don’t administer medications like a nurse)
Things that can change the hourly rate include the level of hands-on care, dementia care needs, weekend and holiday shifts, very short visits, and whether care is needed overnight or around the clock.
Cost of companion care for the elderly
Companion care means help focused on company, conversation, errands and light household tasks. Many agencies don’t price companionship and personal care very differently, because the same trained caregiver often does both. At Premier Comfort Care, companion care falls in the same $55 to $75 hourly range.
Companion care is also one of the most affordable ways to start. A few short visits a week can make a big difference for a parent who’s lonely or just needs help keeping up with the house. If your parent is resistant to help, companionship is often the easiest first step. Our guide to dealing with elderly parents who refuse help covers how to introduce it.
Is home care cheaper than a nursing home?
It depends on how many hours of care your parent needs. Here’s how home care at $55 to $75 an hour compares with CareScout’s 2025 Sacramento-area medians for care communities:
| Type of care | Approx. monthly cost (Sacramento area) |
|---|---|
| Home care, 20 hrs/week at $55–$75/hr | $4,767–$6,500 |
| Home care, 44 hrs/week at $55–$75/hr | $10,487–$14,300 |
| Assisted living community (median) | $7,750 |
| Nursing home, semi-private room (median) | $13,688 |
| Nursing home, private room (median) | $19,771 |
| Adult day health care (California median) | $2,037 |
A few things to keep in mind when comparing:
- Part-time home care is usually the most affordable. You pay only for the hours you use. A parent who needs help a few hours a day typically pays less than they would for assisted living.
- Full-time and round-the-clock care change the math. As hours climb toward full-time or 24-hour care, home care can cost more than assisted living or a nursing home.
- Communities include room and board. At home, your parent still pays for housing, food and utilities, though they may already be paying for these anyway.
- The care is different. At home, your parent gets one-on-one attention in a familiar place. In a community, staff care for many residents at once.
Home care vs. home health care: what’s the difference?
These two terms sound almost identical, but they’re different services with very different price tags and payers:
- Home care (also called non-medical or private duty home care) is help with daily life: personal care, meals, housekeeping, errands, companionship and supervision. It’s usually paid for privately or with long-term care insurance, and it can continue for as long as it’s needed.
- Home health care is medical care at home, such as nursing, physical therapy or occupational therapy, ordered by a doctor. It’s often covered by Medicare for people who qualify, but it’s usually short-term and limited to a few visits a week.
Many families use both at once. A nurse or therapist visits a few times a week for medical needs, while a home caregiver helps with everything in between. Knowing the difference helps you ask the right questions and avoid surprises on the bill.
Does Medicare pay for home care for seniors?
Medicare covers home health, which is different from home care. Medicare’s home health benefit covers part-time or intermittent skilled services, like nursing and therapy, for people who are homebound and have a doctor’s order. Medicare.gov states that Medicare doesn’t pay for 24-hour-a-day care at home, homemaker services like shopping and cleaning, or personal care like bathing and dressing when that’s the only care someone needs (Medicare.gov).
Since non-medical home care is mostly that kind of daily-living help, Medicare generally won’t pay for it. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer limited in-home support benefits, so it’s worth calling the plan to ask.
Other ways families pay for home care
- Private pay. Most families pay out of pocket, using income, savings, or help from adult children.
- Long-term care insurance. Many policies cover in-home care. Look at the daily or monthly benefit, the waiting period, and what paperwork the insurer needs.
- Veterans benefits. Wartime veterans and surviving spouses may qualify for the VA’s Aid and Attendance benefit (VA.gov).
- Medi-Cal IHSS. California’s In-Home Supportive Services program can pay for some in-home help for people who qualify for Medi-Cal (California Department of Social Services).
- Life insurance or home equity. Some families use a life insurance conversion, a reverse mortgage, or proceeds from selling a home. Talk with a financial advisor before choosing one of these.
Questions about paying for care? Talk with Mariam directly.
How to keep home care costs manageable
- Start small. Cover the tasks that matter most for safety, like bathing or meals, before adding more hours. At Premier Comfort Care, care can start with 1–2 hour microvisits.
- Schedule around family help. Use paid care for the gaps, such as weekdays while you work, and keep family time for what you enjoy doing together.
- Review the plan regularly. Needs change. A good agency adjusts the plan up or down instead of locking you into hours you don’t need.
- Ask about prepaid care policies. Find out what happens to care you’ve paid for but don’t use. Our families get a full refund for any unused care credits.
- Plan ahead. Knowing your parent’s budget and preferences early helps avoid rushed, expensive decisions after a crisis.
Questions to ask a home care agency about cost
- What’s your hourly rate, and is there a minimum visit length?
- Do rates change for weekends, holidays, overnight or dementia care?
- Are caregivers employees of the agency (with taxes and insurance covered)?
- Is there a deposit, and what happens to unused prepaid hours?
- How often is the care plan reviewed, and can we change hours easily?
- Will we have consistent caregivers?
Get a clear picture of what care would cost
Premier Comfort Care provides non-medical in-home care in Sacramento, Folsom, Roseville, Granite Bay, El Dorado Hills, Elk Grove, Rocklin, Citrus Heights and nearby communities. When you call, you’ll talk directly with our owner, Mariam, not a call center. She’ll learn about your parent’s routine and needs, then help you find a schedule that fits both their care and your budget.
Let’s find a plan that fits your family.
Sources: CareScout Cost of Care Survey, 2025; Medicare.gov, Home health services; VA.gov, Aid and Attendance; California Department of Social Services, IHSS.
