In-home caregivers & support
- Where you are
- What you need
- 3Your guidance
You've made it — here's the guidance for your situation.
When a parent needs more help than family can provide but isn't ready — or doesn't want — to leave home, in-home care is often the right next step. Understanding what's available and how it's paid for makes this decision much easier.
Types of in-home support
Companion/homemaker care: Help with errands, meals, housekeeping, and companionship Personal care aides: Assistance with bathing, dressing, grooming, and mobility Home health aides: Supervised by a nurse; can assist with some medical tasks Skilled nursing visits: Registered nurses for wound care, medication management, or monitoring Therapy services: Physical, occupational, or speech therapy provided at home
How to find care in Washington
Home care agencies handle hiring, training, and backup coverage — simpler but more expensive. Independent caregivers cost less but require the family to manage hiring, taxes, and scheduling. DSHS Home and Community Services (part of the Home and Community Living Administration, formerly ALTSA) determines eligibility for Medicaid-paid in-home care through Community First Choice (CFC) and the COPES waiver.
What it costs
The Washington median for in-home care is about $45 an hour (CareScout 2025 survey) — about $8,580 a month at 44 hours a week. Agency rates commonly run about $40–$50 an hour; Seattle-area prices run higher, and costs vary by area and level of care.
Next step: your local Area Agency on Aging can explain in-home care programs in your county, and Real Property Planning's Find a Professional page lists independent professionals you can contact directly.
Find a ProfessionalYour next questions
What will care cost?
Washington cost-of-care calculators for in-home care, assisted living, memory care, adult family homes and nursing homes.
Adult family home, assisted living or nursing home?
How Washington's care settings differ, and which fits which needs.
Will Medicaid pay, and what happens to the house?
Apple Health long-term care in Washington: eligibility, the home exemption, spend-down and the five-year look-back.