How to Find In-Home Care for the Elderly: A Complete Guide

Caring for an elderly loved one can come with some difficult decisions, especially when you want them to continue living a safe, comfortable, independent life.

Have you been wondering if in-home care is the right choice for your loved one but not sure where to begin? Finding a trustworthy provider and services that fit your loved one’s needs, all while sticking to a budget, can feel overwhelming.

That’s why we’ve developed this comprehensive guide, so you can better understand the types of in-home care services available, how they can help your loved one and how to go about finding the best provider for your family.

Understanding In-Home Care

At-home care for elderly people isn’t just one thing. It is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of services, both medical and non-medical. An established care provider will allow you to customize these services so your loved one can get the support they need, when they need it.

Medical care involves clinical support provided by licensed healthcare professionals such as nurses and therapists. They are qualified to address the individual’s specific medical conditions in a home environment, such as giving daily medications or helping your loved one manage the symptoms of a chronic condition.

In most cases, medical care requires a physician’s order.

Non-medical care focuses on providing day-to-day support that allows an individual to maintain their independence as much as possible. For example, a caregiver could help your loved one with bathing, dressing, and cleaning the house.

Given the nature of non-medical services, they are typically provided by caregivers that may not have a medical background.

Types of In-Home Care Services

In-home care encompasses a wide range of services to help your loved one get the right type of care. Potential services your loved one can receive includes:

• Personal care support: Ensures your loved one maintains their hygiene and dignity.

• Companion care: Essential for maintaining emotional well-being and preventing isolation.

• Household support: Provides assistance with maintaining a home.

• Lifestyle support: Helps enrich your loved one’s daily life and keep them connected.

• Transitional care: Provides support after a hospital or nursing facility stay.

• Respite care: Helps give family caregivers a much-needed break.

• Chronic condition care: Provides specialized care to meet the challenges of living with a chronic condition.

• End of life care: Ensures support and peace for both clients and their families during an emotional time.

Benefits of In-Home Care

Most elderly people don’t want to move out of their familiar home environment, especially if they’ve lived there for years. Assisted living facilities can give your loved one the care and support they need. But living in close proximity to dozens of other residents who also need care can be a stressful and impersonal experience.

Not to mention, it can be extremely challenging for you to travel back and forth to a facility to visit your loved one.

When your loved one receives the care they need in the comfort of their familiar home instead, it’s a less stressful and more comfortable experience for everyone.

In-home services allow caregivers to maintain full focus on your loved one. This personalized attention is essential for providing high-quality, customized care without any distractions.

Finally, the high cost of facility or residential care is no secret. As of 2025, the average monthly cost of assisted living is a shocking $5,676 – a figure that may be higher depending on where your loved one lives and the treatment that they need.

In-home alternatives are often more cost-effective, especially when you take the high level of personalization into consideration.

Assessing the Elderly Person’s Needs

Where do you begin in assessing the type of care your loved one requires?

Start by carrying out a thorough evaluation of their health, mobility and daily living requirements. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Does your loved one have any medical conditions, chronic illnesses or cognitive impairments that require ongoing management and care?

• Can they administer their own medication safely?

• How mobile is your loved one? Can they move around independently, or do they require assistance?

• Have there been any recent falls, or have you noticed any balance issues that affect mobility?

• Is their home environment safe, or are modifications such as grab bars and ramps required?

• Is your loved one able to independently maintain all of their daily activities, such as:

  • Hygiene

  • Getting dressed appropriately

  • Preparing and eating meals

  • Toileting

  • Running errands like going to the grocery store

  • Getting around independently outside the home

  • Maintaining a clean household

Answering these questions will help you decide the level of care and the types of services your loved one might need.

Next, consider your budget. We’ll go into this in more detail below, but you must establish how much money can go toward in-home care and where the financing will come from.

Lastly, evaluate how much assistance your family can provide. While full-time care likely isn’t possible, are there family members who can reliably come on a regular basis to help out?

Thinking about these factors will help you determine when in-home care will be required to fill any gaps throughout the week.

Researching In-Home Care Providers

Once you have worked out the level of care your family needs, the next step is finding a reputable in-home service.

Gathering Recommendations

A good starting point for recommendations and insights is to start talking to those around you. Perhaps you have friends with loved ones who receive in-home care. You can also try asking around your community, local Facebook groups or the neighborhood Nextdoor group for recommendations.

If that doesn’t turn up any viable options, speak to healthcare professionals. They will likely have a list of services that they can give you a referral for.

Online Searches and Reviews

Another place to search is online. However, take care to perform plenty of due diligence and research to ensure you’re hiring reputable caregivers. Be sure to check out reviews and testimonials on third-party sites and the agency’s website.

Some good places to search include the Better Business Bureau, which is a non-profit organization that provides ratings and reviews for businesses in the U.S.

Local Agencies and Networks

By now, you should have a shortlist of potential in-home care service providers and agencies. The next step is to check whether they meet industry standards and follow legal requirements.

This is crucial because if an agency does not operate to these standards, your loved one could end up receiving poor-quality or inadequate care.

Check the provider with your state’s health department or licensing board to verify their license status. You can also look up the provider in the state registry to see if it’s licensed for home care.

What are you looking for, exactly?

The licenses you need to check are:

• Home care license: Most states require this license for non-medical care.

• Business license: This confirms that the agency is legally registered as a business

Accreditation is another indicator of an agency’s standards. Getting accredited is not required for a business to operate it, but doing so acts as proof that they maintain a high level of care.

Look for:

• The Joint Commission (JCAHO): This is the gold standard for healthcare accreditation.

• Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP): Ensures compliance with Medicare standards.

• Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC): Recognized by Medicare, Medicaid and other state agencies.

Additionally, any agency you choose must also thoroughly vet its caregivers. Ensure they perform background checks and that their caregivers have the required qualifications and licensing to perform their work.

Evaluating and Interviewing Providers

Now, it’s time to ask plenty of questions so you can be confident that the in-home care provider is the right fit for your loved one.

Screening Questions

When talking to the service provider, don’t hold back, even if you think the question is unimportant. All questions are valid, and a reputable provider will be happy to answer them.

To help you get started, here are some questions you should get answers to:

1. Are you licensed by the state, and do you have accreditation from any organizations?

2. What types of background checks do you conduct on your caregivers?

3. What certifications and training do your caregivers have?

4. How do you match caregivers with clients, and can we meet them before starting services?

5. What services do you provide, and are there any additional costs for specialized care?

6. What is your pricing structure, and do you accept Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance?

7. What happens if our assigned caregiver is unavailable or not a good fit?

8. How do you monitor caregivers and ensure quality control?

9. How do you handle medical emergencies and unexpected health changes?

10. Can you provide references or client testimonials?

Interview Process

Interviews can be held in-person or virtually.

When interviewing potential providers, pay close attention to how they act. If at any point you are shut down or made to feel uncomfortable, this is a red flag for how they are likely to treat your family as a client.

Similarly, evaluate how prompt and clear the communication is. For instance, if an agency says they’ll get back to you by a certain time with some information, do they honor that? Or do you have to chase them to get your questions answered?

Trial Periods and References

A good agency will offer you the opportunity of a trial run before you commit to a full service. This is important because the person who is receiving in-home care also needs to feel comfortable and happy with the caregiver.

Be present during the trial run. Observe how the caregiver performs tasks and their manner toward your loved one.

Again, ask plenty of questions. For instance, ask what they would do in X situation or how they would handle an emergency. Any professional caregiver won’t be fazed by this and will be able to give confident answers.

If they can’t answer your questions or your loved one isn’t comfortable with them, then ask for a different caregiver and start the trial process again.

Navigating Costs and Payment Options

Cost is a huge factor for care services. There are three main ways to pay for the costs:

• Out-of-pocket payments

• Private long-term insurance coverage

• Government programs and assistance like IHSS

Find out what insurance options a provider takes and if family cost sharing or financing is an option.

You’ll also want to learn more about your loved one’s health insurance program and what it covers. You can also determine if your loved one is eligible for any government programs that assist with the cost of medical care, such as those with benefits available for veterans and surviving spouses.

Lastly, figure out if your loved one has any savings and assets that can be allocated to your in-home care budget. While talking about money with your family is never fun, it’s best to lay all your cards on the table and figure out a budget that works for everyone.

Developing a Comprehensive Care Plan

Once you are happy with your chosen provider, they will work with you to develop a comprehensive and personalized care plan.

Since you have already evaluated your loved one’s needs, you already have a good idea of the level of care they’ll be receiving. Discuss your observations with your provider and together, work out a schedule that works for everyone and provides precisely the right level of assistance.

Be sure to regularly review the care plan. As time passes, your loved one’s needs are likely to change and the care plan should be adjusted accordingly.

Transitioning to Home Care

The transition process from independent living to in-home care can be stressful for your elderly loved one, so take the time to implement it carefully.

Introduce caregivers gradually to build familiarity and trust.

Keep a close eye on progress - especially during the first couple of weeks. If it helps, be present for the first week or so until your loved one is comfortable being alone with their caregiver.

Keep lines of communication open between you and your caregiver. Ask for regular updates and ensure that any concerns are promptly addressed.

For more information about finding in-home care services for your loved one, get in touch with Tandem Care today.