Care at home
Help with bathing, dressing, transfers, and daily tasks, so you can live at home. Who provides it, who pays, and how to get it.
Kinds of help
Personal care attendants
Help with bathing, dressing, eating, transfers, and getting out. Sometimes called personal assistance services.
Home health
Nurses and therapists who visit for a short time after an illness or injury.
Homemaker and chore help
Cleaning, laundry, shopping, and meals.
Adult day programs
A safe, social place during the day, often with health services.
Respite
A break for family caregivers.
Who pays
- Medicaid is the biggest payer of care at home. It pays through the state plan and through home and community-based waivers. Many waivers have wait lists, so apply early. Your state page lists every program and how to apply.
- Medicare pays for home health only for a short time, when you need skilled care and have trouble leaving home. It does not pay for long-term help with daily tasks.
- PACE programs, for people 55 and older, cover care at home and at a day center for people who would otherwise qualify for a nursing home.
- The VA pays for home care for many veterans. See Veterans.
- Long-term care insurance, if you have it, may pay.
- Paying yourself: ask agencies for their hourly rate and minimum hours.
Directing your own care
Most states let you self-direct: you hire, train, schedule, and if needed fire your own attendants, and the program pays them. Many people with physical disabilities choose this because they know best how they want help.
Ask your state Medicaid office or your Center for Independent Living about self-directed options.
Paying a family member
In many states, Medicaid self-direction or waiver programs can pay a family member to be your attendant. Rules vary a lot by state, especially for spouses and for parents of minor children. Ask your state Medicaid office what is allowed.
Veterans may qualify for the VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 855-260-3274.
Search care at home in your state
Pick your state, then narrow by county on the results page.
Search runs on the Disability Atlas, our sister site, which holds every listing.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Laws, dollar amounts, and program rules change. Check with the agency named on this page before you make a decision. Report outdated or wrong information.