USC Verdugo Hills Hospital

Hiring Help at Home

The goal for most older adults is to “age-in-place” meaning to continue to live independently in your own home for as long as possible. Over time, this may require making adjustments to one’s lifestyle, including hiring in-home help. It usually is a gradual decline in function over time that older adults experience and it can be difficult to identify when the right time is to bring in help.

Many families grapple with assisting older family members respecting their wishes to remain independent and autonomous but also wanting to make sure their loved one is safe and that their needs are being met at home. Many older adults are resistant to accepting home care triggering a fear of loss of independence. A positive way to look at accepting help at home is that it prolongs one’s independence.

Home care agencies are abundant and readily available to assist older adults from basic homemaking/housekeeping activities all the way to providing a caregiver to assist a person with their most intimate needs such as toileting and bathing.

There is a difference between home care and home health care that is important to distinguish. Home health care is medical care ordered by a physician for individuals who have a medical condition, usually after a hospitalization or medical procedure. It’s important to know that while home health care is covered by private insurance and Medicare, it is only short-term and time limited. Unfortunately, home care is not covered by most insurances and Medicare but in some cases is covered by long term care insurance policies.

Many home care agencies will do a complimentary home assessment to determine what type of care is needed and recommend a number of hours of care per week. The current average rate for a caregiver is between $32-$35 per hour and most home care agencies requires a minimum of four-hour shifts. It’s important to make sure when choosing one that it is licensed through the State of California and that its caregivers are registered with the state’s home care worker’s registry.

There are many resources available to guide and assist older adults and their families in hiring caregivers. Check out the Family Caregiver Alliance website at https://www.caregiver.org for more information. Those who are considering hiring a caregiver and would like to speak with a resource specialist can contact the Community Resource Center for Aging at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital at (818) 949-4033 or send an email to aging-resources@med.usc.edu.

Adria Navarro, PhD
Program Manager
USC Verdugo Hills Hospital
Community Resource Center for Aging