Hourly: area median home care rate (CareScout 2025). 65+: Census share of residents (metro area for "Metro" locations).
No state license
Is non-medical home care licensed in Michigan?
Michigan does not license non-medical home care, personal care, or companion agencies.
The state Attorney General calls non-medical home care an unregulated industry and publishes a checklist so families can judge an agency themselves. Skilled home health agencies are not state-licensed in Michigan either. The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) says no state license is required; home health agencies that bill Medicare must pass a federal certification survey instead.
Tip: Ask the agency for proof of bonding, insurance, and workers' compensation, and whether state and national criminal background checks cover the owners and every caregiver, using the Attorney General's checklist.
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.
HCBS waiver
MI Choice Waiver Program
Who: Adults who need a nursing facility level of care and who meet Medicaid income and asset rules. The MDHHS page describes the waiver as serving older adults and people with disabilities who would otherwise need nursing home care.
What it covers
Services include community living supports, respite, adult day health, home delivered meals, chore services, personal emergency response, and supports coordination.
Family caregivers: The MDHHS service list includes fiscal intermediary services; ask the MI Choice agency whether self-directed care with a paid family caregiver is open to you.
Who: People with Medicaid fee-for-service who need hands-on help with at least one activity of daily living, as found in an in-home assessment by an MDHHS adult services worker.
What it covers
Pays for bathing, dressing, eating, grooming, mobility, toileting, and transferring, plus light housework, laundry, meal preparation, and shopping. It does not cover supervision, prompting, or transportation.
Family caregivers: Yes. The client is the employer and may choose a family member or friend age 18 or older, or an agency. The caregiver cannot be the client's spouse, a parent caring for a minor child, or someone who also receives Home Help.
Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
Who: People age 55 or older who live in a PACE service area, meet Medicaid long-term care level of care, and can live safely in the community.
What it covers
Combined Medicare and Medicaid coverage delivered by a PACE organization, mainly through an adult day health center plus in-home services as the care team decides.
Michigan medians, CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025. Home care months are estimates: hourly rate x hours x 52 / 12. Not HomeCare.com prices.
Help at home with daily living.
Care in your home
Meal preparation
Light housekeeping
Bathing and dressing
Transportation
Companionship
Personal care
About home care in Michigan
Home care in Michigan helps seniors who need assistance with “activities of daily living (ADL’s)” and their family. In-Home Care can be provided in Michigan 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.
Michigan has PACE organizations serving every one of our Michigan locations, each by ZIP code. Check the ZIP code lists on the MDHHS page before assuming a given address is covered.
Questions about care in Michigan.
Rather talk it through? A care advisor can answer these by phone.
CareScout's 2025 survey puts the Michigan median for a non-medical caregiver at $35 an hour, the same as the national median. Costs vary by area. Traverse City is higher at $45, Ann Arbor is $41, and Saginaw is lower at $32. A care advisor can explain what your hours would cost at 800-974-3458.
Does Medicaid pay for home care in Michigan?
It can. Michigan's Medicaid agency, MDHHS, runs the MI Choice Waiver Program, the Home Help Program, and PACE. MI Choice serves adults who need a nursing facility level of care. Home Help pays for hands-on personal care after an in-home assessment. Call your local Area Agency on Aging for MI Choice, or your county MDHHS office for Home Help. A HomeCare.com care advisor can talk through payment options.
Is non-medical home care licensed in Michigan?
No. Michigan does not license non-medical home care, personal care, or companion agencies. The state Attorney General calls it an unregulated industry and publishes a checklist for families. Ask any agency for proof of bonding, insurance, and workers' compensation, and whether background checks cover every caregiver. Every caregiver HomeCare.com refers must pass a background check.
Can I pay a family member to be my caregiver in Michigan?
Sometimes. In the Home Help program, the client is the employer and may choose a family member or friend age 18 or older. The caregiver cannot be the client's spouse, a parent caring for a minor child, or someone who also receives Home Help. Hours are set after an in-home assessment, and a decision comes in writing within 45 days. For MI Choice, ask the agency whether self-directed care with a paid family caregiver is open to you.
How do I find senior services in Michigan?
Start with your local Area Agency on Aging. Michigan has 16 regional agencies, and each is a local point of entry for aging services. The state Aging, Community Living, and Supports Bureau is at 517-241-4100. The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program takes calls at 866-485-9393. Caregiver services from the agencies may include respite care, adult day care, counseling, and support groups.
How does HomeCare.com work in Michigan?
HomeCare.com serves families in Ann Arbor, Detroit Metro, Grand Rapids Metro, Lansing, Saginaw, and Traverse City. Call 800-974-3458 for a free consultation with a care advisor. You choose visits and hours, with no minimums and no contracts. Live-in and 24-hour care are available. Caregivers are non-medical and credentialed, and a support team is available 7 days a week.
