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Cost is usually the first question families ask when they start looking into in-home care, and it is rarely an easy one to answer. Rates vary by region, by the level of care needed, and by how many hours a week someone requires, and many families do not realize how many funding options exist beyond simply paying out of pocket.
This article walks through what actually drives the cost of in-home care in Pennsylvania, what a realistic budget looks like, and the main paths families use to make it affordable.
What Determines the Cost of In-Home Care
The single biggest driver of cost is the type of care involved. Companion care, which covers companionship, light housekeeping, meal preparation, and transportation, typically costs less than personal care, which involves hands-on help with bathing, dressing, toileting, and transferring. Personal care requires more training and carries more liability for the caregiver and agency, and the rate reflects that.
Hours and scheduling matter just as much. A few hours a day, a handful of days a week, is priced very differently than around-the-clock coverage. Live-in arrangements, where a caregiver resides in the home and is compensated with a flat daily or weekly rate rather than an hourly one, can be more cost-effective per hour of coverage than paying for 24-hour hourly shifts, but they require a suitable, private space for the caregiver to live.
Location within Pennsylvania also plays a real role. Home care rates in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh metro areas tend to run noticeably higher than rates in smaller cities and rural counties, largely reflecting differences in the local labor market and cost of living.
Average Rates and What to Budget For
The cost of non-medical home care can vary, with rural and smaller communities toward the lower end of that range and the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh metro areas toward the higher end. Costs move over time and vary by agency, so they should be treated as a starting point for a conversation rather than a firm quote.
At UDS, rates for Home Care Services are typically $32.00/hour for weekdays, and $34.00/hour for weekends or assistance as a travel companion. Holidays are $64.00/hour. We do not have administrative fees, and provide services for as little as 3-hour shifts.
Translated into a monthly budget, part-time care of around 20 hours a week typically lands close to $2,750 per month, while full-time care at 40 hours a week runs roughly $5,500 per month. Around-the-clock or live-in care costs substantially more and is usually priced as a flat weekly rate rather than a simple hourly multiple, so it is worth asking any provider for that rate directly rather than estimating from an hourly figure.
Hiring through a licensed agency generally costs more per hour than hiring a caregiver independently or through a registry, but that higher rate typically includes payroll taxes, workers’ compensation coverage, liability insurance, supervision, and backup coverage if a caregiver is sick. Hiring independently can lower the hourly cost, but it shifts those employer responsibilities, and the risk of finding last-minute replacement coverage, onto the family.
Medicaid and Waiver-Funded Options
For many Pennsylvania families, Community HealthChoices (CHC) is the program that changes this math entirely. CHC is the state’s Medicaid managed care program for long-term services and supports, and for those who qualify, it can cover personal care and attendant care hours directly, removing most or all of the private-pay cost.
Eligibility generally requires being 21 or older, a Pennsylvania resident, and either dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid or assessed as needing a nursing facility level of care. Financial eligibility is based on both income and asset limits that are set by the state and adjusted periodically, so it is worth getting a current, personalized read rather than relying on a general estimate.
The process typically starts with the County Assistance Office to establish Medicaid eligibility, followed by a functional assessment to confirm the level of care needed. From there, an approved individual chooses a CHC managed care organization, which assigns a service coordinator to build out the actual services, including in-home care hours.
Other Ways to Offset the Cost
Veterans and surviving spouses may qualify for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Aid & Attendance, a tax-free monthly pension benefit for wartime veterans who need help with daily activities. The benefit can be put directly toward the cost of in-home care, and the exact amount depends on income, assets, and unreimbursed medical expenses, so it is best confirmed directly through VA.gov or with an accredited Veterans Service Officer rather than a general estimate. UDS also provides special pricing for veterans.
Long-term care insurance can also help significantly, though every policy is different. It is worth checking the elimination period, which is the waiting time before benefits begin, whether the policy requires care from a licensed agency or also allows independent caregivers, and whether it pays a flat daily benefit or reimburses actual costs up to a cap.
Pennsylvania’s network of Area Agencies on Aging administers the state’s OPTIONS program, which can provide subsidized in-home services on a sliding scale for residents age 60 and older who do not qualify for full Medicaid coverage but still need financial help.
How UDS Can Help
UDS has over 30 years of experience providing in-home care services directly, from companion care to more hands-on personal care, and works with families to figure out which of the funding paths above they are actually eligible for before committing to a private-pay budget.
Because UDS also has direct experience with Community HealthChoices enrollment, families do not have to separately track down a funding expert and a care provider. The same team that helps determine what a family qualifies for can also be the team providing the care itself.
For more information regarding in-home care, and how UDS can help you explore your options, please fill out a request form and one of our specialists will be in contact with you within 24 hours, Monday through Friday, to help you get started.
