The 10 Best Home Care Agencies for Seniors in Los Angeles, CA for 2024 | Caring.com (2024)

Los Angeles ranked 59th on Caring’s 2022 Senior Living Report for California. This report factors in 46 key indicators for older adults, including overall health and quality of life. With its warm weather and proximity to stunning beaches, Los Angeles is a popular retirement destination. Seniors aging in place at home also benefit from having access to several nationally ranked hospitals, including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and UCLA Medical Center. Per Genworth’s 2021 Cost of Care Survey, the average home care cost in Los Angeles is $5,911, which is higher than the national average but lower than the state average. Home care provides nonmedical personal services, while home health care includes skilled nursing services.

Below we’ve compiled a comprehensive directory of every home care provider in the Los Angeles area – complete with services offered and reviews from families who’ve actually used the service. In addition to our in-depth provider listings, we’ve compiled resources to help seniors and their families to access all the tools they need to age in place safely and gracefully.

Genworth’s 2021 Cost of Care Survey has Los Angeles’ average home care cost higher than the national average of $4,957 by $954 but lower than the state’s average of $6,101 by $190. Its cost is also higher than Bakersfield’s average of $5,506 by $405 but only more than Oxnard’s average of $5,815 by $96. Other cities close to the coast have higher averages than Los Angeles, including Salinas at $6,673 and San Luis Obispo at $7,150 per month.

Home health care includes medical services from therapists and registered nurses, often making it costlier than home care which doesn’t include medical care. However, they cost the same in Los Angeles. Assisted living is lower at $5,250, but it requires seniors to leave their homes. Nursing home care is much higher at $9,125 but provides care for seniors with extensive medical needs. Adult day health is the lowest cost at $1,652 per month, but it only provides supervision during the day at a nonresidential care facility.

Given the high cost of in-home care, many people use one or more forms of financial assistance to cover the expenses. Below, we explain some of the most common sources of financial help for paying for in-home care. If none of these options are available to you, you can reach out to your Area Agency on Aging or Aging and Disability Resource Center to learn about local resources.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: Long-Term Care Insurance covers expenses related to senior care, including in-home care. Depending on the policy type, beneficiaries may receive a cash payment to use towards long-term care or reimbursem*nt for qualifying long-term care expenses. Note that there are limitations- typically a maximum benefit of $150 per day- and exact coverage terms vary depending on the exact policy, so always check the details.
• Medicare: Medicare does not cover in-home care because it is classified as custodial, or non-medical, care. However, some Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans, which offer expanded benefits, may cover in-home custodial care.
• Medicaid: Medicaid coverage of in-home care varies between different states because it is not a federally mandated benefit. Currently, all states cover some in-home care either through their standard Medicaid or a waiver program. The specific coverage rules are set individually by each state.
• Veterans’ Benefits: The Aid and Attendance benefit is a monthly cash payment that beneficiaries can use to pay for senior care, including in-home care services. To qualify for A&A, Veterans must already receive the VA pension and meet several additional requirements, including needing assistance with the activities of daily living.Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs to learn more.
• Reverse Mortgages: Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs) are federally insured loans that are available to homeowners age 62 and over. Reverse mortgages allow you to access a portion of your home’s equity in cash, tax free. Many seniors use reverse mortgages to finance their care expenses, including in-home care. Note that although there are no monthly payments due on reverse mortgage loans, borrowers do have to repay the loan once the last surviving homeowner passes away, moves, or sells the home.

Los Angeles seniors have access to several programs on a local and statewide level that help them cover the cost of their utility bills, upgrade their homes to make them safer, or receive meal deliveries to ensure they eat healthily. These programs are typically free for those who qualify based on income or may have a sliding fee scale.

Aging can be a difficult process, and loved ones may not always ask for help –often times it’s up to their family to evaluate their need for help around the house. While no two situations are exactly alike, this checklist can help you and your loved ones determine when it’s time to start the search for a home care provider.

If you’ve determined that your loved one needs the assistance of a care provider in their home, it may be time for a difficult conversation. Handled correctly, however, this process can bring a family together and ensure that everyone’s concerns are addressed. Use this PDF as a starting point to help the conversation stay as positive and productive as possible.