In-home care and home health referral · Santa Monica, CA
Home care and home health in Santa Monica
Not everyone is ready to move. Home care brings a caregiver to the house by the hour, and Medicare home health sends nurses and therapists after an illness or hospital stay. When care needs grow, Santa Monica's 16 licensed care homes are the next step, and often cost less than round-the-clock help at home.
Home care, home health, or a care home?
- Home care (non-medical caregivers for bathing, meals, companionship) costs about $36 to $40 an hour in the LA area. It is usually paid privately or by long-term care insurance.
- Home health is skilled nursing and physical, occupational or speech therapy ordered by a doctor. Medicare covers it for people who are homebound and need skilled care.
- Around-the-clock home care adds up to roughly $26,000 to $29,000 a month. A board and care home in LA County, with care around the clock, usually costs $3,000 to $6,000.
- Santa Monica has 16 licensed care homes if staying home stops being safe or affordable.
Santa Monica in the state licensing data
How the 16 licensed homes in Santa Monica compare with LA County as a whole, from the state extract dated May 25, 2025.
| State licensing data | Santa Monica | LA County |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed homes | 16 | 1,644 |
| Board and care, 6 beds or fewer | 10 (62%) | 1,359 (83%) |
| Small homes, 7 to 15 beds | 0 (0%) | 27 (2%) |
| Communities, 16 or more beds | 6 (38%) | 258 (16%) |
| Licensed beds | 702 | 43,145 |
| Median beds per home | 6 | 6 |
| Licensed since the start of 2024 | 1 | 287 |
- The largest licensed home in Santa Monica is Savant of Santa Monica, with 174 beds.
- Homes with fifteen or fewer beds hold 56 of the 702 licensed beds in Santa Monica (8%).
- Licensed homes in Santa Monica are spread across these ZIP codes: 90403 (6 homes), 90405 (5 homes), 90404 (4 homes), 90291 (1 home).
- Newest licenses in Santa Monica: Indalo Homes (2024).
Board and care homes in Santa Monica, if home care stops being enough
Listed for comparison. We can check openings and rates when you are ready. Listed alphabetically; select a home for its license details.
Nearby communities
Sawtelle (2.3 mi, 2 homes, 2 board and care); West Los Angeles (3.4 mi, 1 home, 0 board and care); Mar Vista (3.6 mi, 5 homes, 4 board and care); Rancho Park (3.7 mi, 4 homes, 4 board and care); Westwood (3.8 mi, 4 homes, 2 board and care). Distances are straight-line between community centers.
See every licensed home on our Santa Monica board and care page, or read more about in-home care and home health referral across Los Angeles County.
Questions families ask
How much does home care cost in Santa Monica?
Non-medical home care in the LA area costs about $36 to $40 an hour. Most agencies have a minimum visit of a few hours.
Does Medicare pay for home care?
Medicare pays for home health, meaning skilled nursing and therapy ordered by a doctor for someone who is homebound. It does not pay for ongoing non-medical caregivers or 24 hour care.
When is a care home a better choice than home care?
Usually when someone needs help around the clock, at night, or from two people. At that point a licensed board and care home often costs less than full-time care at home and provides more supervision.
More care options in Santa Monica
Get help with home care in Santa Monica
We will call you back the same business day. There is no cost to your family. The care home pays our fee.