Services for Older Adults Living at Home

There are various services to meet older adults' long-term care needs while living at home. Family and friends can help with some personal and household tasks, but professionals may be hired for others. Below are key options:

Home health care services

These assist with health-related needs like medications, wound care, medical equipment, and physical therapy, with providers staying for hours daily or 24/7. They include short-term post-hospital nursing care (arranged by hospitals) and chronic condition management (e.g., diabetes blood sugar testing or insulin administration).

Costs: Charged by the hour. Medicare covers limited short-term services from certified agencies. Medicaid coverage varies by state. Most private insurance doesn’t cover them; uncovered costs are your responsibility.

Find providers via doctors, health professionals, or referrals. Research thoroughly: use online tools to compare Medicare-certified agencies, check references, and look for complaints with regulators or the Better Business Bureau.

Help with daily activities For chores (cleaning, yard work, grocery shopping, laundry), use delivery services or recommended helpers.

For personal care (bathing, dressing, eating, moving), relatives, friends, or trained aides can assist briefly daily. Some older adults, especially those living alone, need regular check-ins from loved ones or neighbors. Friendly visitor and senior companion services

Volunteers visit briefly (under 2 hours) for support and companionship, free of charge. Paid services are also available. Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance don’t cover these, but some long-term care plans do. Connect with volunteers through senior centers or local/state governments.