Home care vs. facility: what each really costs
“Keep Mom at home” feels like the affordable choice — until you add up the paid hours. This tool compares in-home care against assisted living, memory care, and a nursing home side by side, so you can see the real trade-off and the point where in-home care stops being the cheaper option. Numbers stay in your browser — nothing is saved or sent.
| Care option | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| In-home care | $5,893 | $70,720 |
| Assisted living | $5,900 | $70,800 |
| Memory care | $7,400 | $88,800 |
| Nursing home (semi-private) | $9,277 | $111,324 |
At 40 hrs/week of paid help, in-home care runs about $5,893/mo — less than assisted living ($5,900/mo). In-home stays the lower-cost option up to about 40 hours of paid care a week; beyond that, a facility usually costs less. Many families blend both — family care plus paid hours — to stay below the facility line.
Estimates only, for planning — not financial advice. Facility fields are pre-filled with national mediancosts; real prices vary widely by location and level of care, so replace them with local quotes. This tool also doesn't count benefits that can offset cost (Medicaid, veterans' benefits, long-term-care insurance).
Where these numbers come from
The pre-filled facility costs are national medians from the Genworth & CareScout 2024 Cost of Care Survey — one of the largest studies of its kind, drawn from more than 15,000 provider responses nationwide:
- Home health aide: national median ≈ $34/hour ($77,792/year of full-time care) — the default in-home rate above.
- Assisted living: $5,900/month ($70,800/year), up 10% from the year before.
- Memory care: not tracked separately in the survey — typically assisted living plusa dementia-care surcharge, so it's estimated higher (edit it with a real quote).
- Nursing home: $9,277/month for a semi-private room ($111,325/year); a private room runs about $127,750/year.
The takeaway most families don't expect: at national rates, paid in-home care passes the cost of assisted living at roughly 40 hours a week. Below that, staying home is usually cheaper; above it — especially when someone needs overnight or around-the-clock supervision — a facility often costs less for more coverage.
Programs that can lower the bill
Before assuming savings have to cover it all, check what your parent may qualify for:
- BenefitsCheckUp (National Council on Aging) — find programs that help pay for care.
- Eldercare Locator (Administration for Community Living) — your local Area Agency on Aging and community services by ZIP code.
- Medicaid long-term services & supports — coverage for in-home care and facilities for those who qualify.
Related: how long will savings last?, our guide to how to pay for senior care, the difference between assisted living, nursing homes, and memory care, and — if dementia is part of the picture — whether it's time for memory care.
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