--- title: "Home Care Guides for Families | HomeCare.com" description: "Plain-English guides to choosing home care, what it costs, how to pay with Medicaid, VA benefits or long-term care insurance, and caring for a parent at home." url: https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/ publisher: HomeCare.com phone: 800-974-3458 start: https://care.homecare.com/?source=homecare.com --- Guides # Home care guides Plain-English guides to choosing home care, what it costs, how to pay with Medicaid, VA benefits or long-term care insurance, and caring for a parent at home. ## Choosing care [Live-In Care vs 24-Hour Care: How to ChooseLive-in care means one caregiver lives in the home and needs breaks and sleep. 24-hour care means a team of caregivers works shifts, so someone is...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/live-in-vs-24-hour-care/)[Home Care vs Home Health Care: Which Does Your Parent Need?Home care is non-medical help with daily life, such as bathing, meals, rides and company. Home health care is skilled medical care, like nursing or...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/home-care-vs-home-health-care/)[Companion Care vs Personal Care: What Each Level Does and Does Not DoCompanion care gives company, light housekeeping, meals, rides and reminders. Personal care adds hands-on help with bathing, toileting, dressing...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/companion-care-vs-personal-care/)[How Many Hours of Home Care Does Your Parent Need? A Simple Needs ChecklistCount what your parent cannot do alone, and when. A few tasks a week may need two to four hours of visits. Help with bathing, meals and mobility...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/how-many-hours-of-home-care-do-i-need/)[Overnight Care for Seniors: Awake or Asleep Caregivers, Cost and When It Is TimeOvernight care puts a caregiver in your parent's home at night. An awake caregiver stays up and watches. A sleep-in caregiver rests nearby and...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/overnight-care-for-seniors/)[Home Care Agency, Registry or Private Caregiver: Who Employs Whom and Who Is LiableThe three models differ mainly in who employs the caregiver. With an agency, the caregiver usually works for the agency. With a registry, you...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/agency-vs-registry-vs-private-caregiver/) ## Costs [What 24-Hour and Live-In Home Care Really CostAt the national median of $35 an hour, round-the-clock care by shifts works out to an estimated $840 a day, $5,880 a week and about $25,550 a...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/24-hour-and-live-in-care-cost/)[Home Care, Assisted Living or Nursing Home: Cost and Care ComparedHome care costs less than assisted living until your parent needs about 6 hours of paid help a day, based on CareScout's 2025 national medians....](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/home-care-vs-assisted-living-vs-nursing-home/) ## Paying for care [Medicaid Home Care Programs in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and VirginiaMedicaid can pay for in-home care, but not through one national benefit. Each state runs its own waivers and personal care programs. You usually...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/medicaid-home-care-waivers-by-state/)[Can a Family Member Get Paid to Be a Caregiver? A State-by-State GuideYes, sometimes. Medicaid programs in several states let a person choose a relative as a paid caregiver, though spouses are often excluded or...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/get-paid-to-care-for-a-family-member/)[VA Benefits for Home Care: Aid and Attendance, Caregiver Programs and MoreThe VA does not have one home care benefit. It has several. Aid and Attendance adds money to a VA pension for wartime Veterans and surviving...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/va-benefits-for-home-care/)[Using Long-Term Care Insurance for Home Care: Elimination Periods, Proof and ClaimsMany long-term care insurance policies cover home care, but you must qualify first. You need to meet the policy's benefit trigger, usually help...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/long-term-care-insurance-home-care-claims/) ## Caregiving [Going Home From the Hospital: What Care to Line Up Before DischargeStart planning home care after hospital discharge on day one of the stay. The hospital discharge planner arranges medical follow-up, such as...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/home-care-after-hospital-discharge/)[Respite Care at Home: How Family Caregivers Get a BreakRespite care is short-term care that gives a family caregiver a break while their loved one stays safe. At home, a paid caregiver, volunteer, or...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/respite-care-at-home/)[Dementia Care at Home: A Stage-by-Stage Plan for FamiliesDementia care at home can work for years if the level of care rises with each stage. Early stage often needs reminders and check-ins. Middle stage...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/dementia-care-at-home/) ## Talk to a care advisor today. Free consultation. No minimums, no contracts. [800-974-3458](tel:+18009743458) [Call a care advisor](tel:+18009743458)[Find a caregiver online](https://care.homecare.com/?source=homecare.com) ![A caregiver and an older woman looking at a tablet together](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/_astro/personal-hero.DqUYygP8_1Sv1FH.webp)