Placement service · Los Angeles County
In-home care, home health, and hospice at home
Sometimes the right answer is staying home with the right support. When it is, we will tell you, and help you find licensed providers. Our help is free to your family.
What it is
Three different services are often confused:
- In-home care is non-medical help from a caregiver: bathing, dressing, meals, housekeeping, company. It is usually paid privately; agency rates in West Los Angeles run about $36 to $40 an hour. Medi-Cal's In-Home Supportive Services program can pay for some hours for eligible people.
- Home health is skilled care ordered by a doctor: nursing visits, physical, occupational or speech therapy. Medicare covers it for people who are homebound and need skilled care.
- Hospice at home is comfort care for someone with a terminal illness, delivered by a Medicare-certified hospice agency, with family as the main caregivers.
Home health can also be delivered inside a board and care home, and hospice can be delivered in a board and care home that holds a hospice waiver, so moving does not mean giving them up.
Signs this may be the right fit
- They are safe alone for most of the day
- They need a few hours of help, not around-the-clock care
- A doctor has ordered therapy or nursing visits
- They strongly want to stay home
What to look for
- Licensed agencies. In California, home care organizations are licensed by the Department of Social Services.
- Minimum hours per visit and per week.
- Background checks and how caregivers are supervised.
- The overnight plan. If care is needed at night, compare the cost with a board and care home.
What it costs and who pays
In-home care at about $36 to $40 an hour (West LA agency rates) is affordable for a few hours a day. Around the clock it comes to about $26,000 to $29,000 a month, several times the cost of a board and care home. Compare the numbers for your situation.
How we help
No cost to your family, start to finish
We give you an honest answer
If home is still the right place, we say so.
We help you compare providers
What to ask in-home care, home health, and hospice agencies.
We are here when things change
If needs grow, we can often arrange a care home within days.
Questions families ask
Does Medicare pay for a caregiver at home?
Medicare pays for home health, meaning skilled nursing and therapy for homebound patients, but not for ongoing non-medical caregiving.
When does a care home make more sense than in-home care?
Usually once someone needs care overnight, or more than eight to ten hours a day. At that point a board and care home is typically safer and costs far less.
Related services
Licensed care homes by community
Local numbers, named homes and costs for the 49 LA County communities with the most licensed care homes. The count is licensed homes in each community. See every community.
- Torrance 78
- Granada Hills 63
- Northridge 62
- Santa Clarita 61
- Lancaster 59
- Long Beach 49
- Sun Valley 43
- Van Nuys 42
- Reseda 36
- Glendale 34
- Palmdale 33
- West Hills 33
- Rancho Palos Verdes 32
- North Hills 31
- Claremont 30
- Woodland Hills 30
- Carson 28
- Pasadena 28
- Chatsworth 26
- Valley Glen 26
- Burbank 25
- Cerritos 21
- Glendora 21
- Winnetka 21
- West Covina 19
- Harbor City 18
- Norwalk 18
- Tarzana 18
- San Dimas 17
- Sherman Oaks 17
- Sylmar 17
- Canoga Park 16
- Diamond Bar 16
- Santa Monica 16
- Panorama City 14
- Whittier 14
- Arcadia 12
- Beverly Grove 12
- Lakewood 12
- Altadena 11
- Covina 11
- Downey 11
- Encino 11
- Lake Balboa 11
- San Pedro 11
- Fairfax 10
- La Verne 10
- Lomita 10
- North Hollywood 10
Tell us about your situation
We will call you back the same business day. There is no cost to your family. The care home pays our placement fee.