Senior Home Care
Senior home care is the general term for non-medical support that helps an older adult stay in their own home, covering everything from companionship and housekeeping to hands-on help with bathing and dressing.
Reviewed by Valerie VanBooven, RN, BSN
What's Included
- Help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, grooming, and toileting
- Meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, and errands
- Medication reminders and help keeping appointments
- Companionship, conversation, and support staying socially connected
- Transportation to medical visits, shopping, and community activities
Who It's For
An older adult who is managing at home but finding parts of the day harder than they used to be, and whose family wants support in place before a fall or a hospital stay forces a bigger decision.
Understanding Senior Home Care
Senior home care is an umbrella rather than a single service. Most agencies use it to mean the whole range of non-medical support an older adult might need at home, and what a particular family actually receives is set by an assessment rather than by the label.
That range usually runs from companion-level help, which is company, errands, and keeping the household going, through to personal care, which is hands-on assistance with bathing, dressing, and mobility. Many families start with the former and add the latter over time.
What senior home care does not include is skilled clinical work. Wound care, injections, and therapy are delivered under home health care by licensed clinicians, and they are paid for differently. An agency can often coordinate both, but they are separate services.
Because the term is broad, it is worth asking any provider exactly which tasks are included at which price, and what triggers a move to a higher level of care.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is senior home care?
Senior home care is the general term for non-medical support that helps an older adult stay in their own home, covering everything from companionship and housekeeping to hands-on help with bathing and dressing.
Who is senior home care for?
An older adult who is managing at home but finding parts of the day harder than they used to be, and whose family wants support in place before a fall or a hospital stay forces a bigger decision.
Other Services
How to Get Senior Home Care
Enter a city and state below to find home care providers in the Care Across America directory who serve that area. Contact them directly to ask whether they offer senior home care and to get pricing for your situation.