Non-medical caregivers in 6 Maryland locations, from a few hours a week to live-in care. No minimums, no contracts.
Sources: CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024.
Hourly: area median home care rate (CareScout 2025). 65+: Census share of residents (metro area for "Metro" locations).
Maryland licenses home care agencies as Residential Service Agencies (RSAs).
The Maryland Department of Health Office of Health Care Quality (OHCQ) issues the license under COMAR 10.07.05. An RSA is a business that employs or contracts with people to give at least one home health care service for pay to an unrelated sick or disabled person. One RSA license can cover private duty nursing, certified caregivers who help with bathing, grooming and dressing, and overnight or 24-hour care. Home health agencies are a separate license type with their own OHCQ directory. Every RSA must also certify how it classifies personal care aides as employees or contractors (Health-General 19-4A-11).
Tip: Ask the agency for its Maryland RSA license number, check it against the OHCQ Residential Service Agencies directory, and know that complaints go to the OHCQ RSA hotline at (800) 492-6005. Check a license
Sources: Maryland Department of Health OHCQ: Residential Service Agencies; Maryland Department of Health OHCQ: Licensee Directories
Most families pay privately, with long-term care insurance or with veterans benefits. These programs can pay for help at home for people who qualify.
Who: People of any age who need an institutional level of care, live in a community setting, and already have full Medicaid. The 2026 asset limit is $2,500 for one person and $3,000 for a couple.
Personal assistance, nurse monitoring, supports planning, home-delivered meals, personal emergency response systems, assistive technology, accessibility adaptations, consumer training and transition services.
Who: Adults age 18 and older who need a nursing facility level of care, can live safely at home with waiver services, and meet income and asset rules. Monthly income may not exceed 300% of SSI and countable assets may not exceed $2,000 or $2,500, depending on category (2026 state memo).
All Medicaid services including Community First Choice, plus assisted living services, case management, medical day care, Senior Center Plus, family training, behavior consultation and dietitian services.
Who: People of any age who need help with at least one activity of daily living, live in a community setting, and already have full Medicaid.
Personal assistance services, nurse monitoring and supports planning, plus all regular Medicaid benefits.
Who: People age 55 or older who are certified as needing a nursing facility level of care, agree to get all services from the PACE provider, have income no higher than 300% of the SSI benefit for one person, and have assets of no more than $2,000.
Comprehensive medical and social services for people who live in the community, paid on a capitated basis (most participants have both Medicare and Medicaid).
Income limit: Community Options Waiver: monthly income may not exceed 300% of SSI benefits, and countable assets may not exceed $2,000 or $2,500, depending on eligibility category. Maryland Medicaid Administration does not state the dollar amount on the waiver page, so confirm the current figure with Maryland Access Point at 1-844-627-5465.
Rules change; confirm with Maryland Department of Health, Maryland Medicaid Administration. A care advisor can talk through payment options.
At the Maryland median of $35 an hour, home care for part of the day usually costs less than a facility.
Costs in every locationMaryland medians, CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025. Home care months are estimates: hourly rate x hours x 52 / 12. Not HomeCare.com prices.
Home care in Maryland helps seniors who need assistance with “activities of daily living (ADL’s)” and their family. In-Home Care can be provided in Maryland by either a home care agency or private duty caregivers. Agencies have physical locations and are more strictly regulated by the state, but many more experienced caregivers decide to work directly for the family as private duty home health aides so they can avoid the agency overhead that cuts into their wages.
HomeCare.com specializes in connecting families with caregivers who meet their unique needs. Our care advisors have years of experience dedicated to assisting families through this process. We'd be happy to offer you a free consultation to discuss your specific requirements and help you find the best possible caregiver.
Maryland has four PACE sites: Hopkins ElderPlus and West Baltimore PACE in Baltimore, Senior CommUnity Care of Maryland, and Trinity Health PACE Montgomery County. Each serves a limited set of ZIP codes, so a family must check the program's service area.
CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey puts the Maryland median for a non-medical caregiver at $35 an hour, the same as the national median. The same survey lists assisted living at $7,173 a month and adult day care at $117 a day. Costs differ by area, so check the page for your metro. A care advisor can talk through payment options.
It can, for people who already qualify. Maryland Medicaid runs the Community First Choice Program, the Community Personal Assistance Services Program and the Community Options Waiver, which has a waitlist. The 2026 asset limit is $2,500 for one person and $3,000 for a couple. Call Maryland Access Point at 1-844-627-5465 to ask about eligibility.
Yes. Maryland licenses home care agencies as Residential Service Agencies (RSAs). The Department of Health's Office of Health Care Quality issues the license under COMAR 10.07.05. Ask any agency for its RSA license number and check it in the OHCQ directory. Complaints go to the OHCQ hotline at (800) 492-6005. A care advisor can explain how HomeCare.com works.
The state pages we reviewed do not say whether a relative can be the paid caregiver. Attendant Care Plus helps pay a caregiver you choose and manage, but only for adults 18 to 64 with a severe disability. Maryland Family Caregiver Support also offers respite programs. Ask Maryland Access Point at 1-844-627-5465 before you plan around any pay.
Start with Maryland Access Point, the state's aging and disability resource line, at 1-844-627-5465. It connects you to your local Area Agency on Aging. The Maryland Department of Aging at 410-767-1100 can also point you to caregiver support, the SOAR program and the Senior Prescription Drug Assistance Program.
You call a care advisor at 800-974-3458, share what help you need, and HomeCare.com refers credentialed, non-medical caregivers. Choose visit length and schedule, including live-in or 24-hour care. There are no minimums and no contracts. Short-notice and backup care are available, and the app verifies each visit. Support is open 7 days a week.
