Care options
From a few hours of help to around-the-clock care
Each option explained in plain English: what it provides, what it typically costs, who pays, and the signs it's time for more help.
Choosing the Right Level of Care: A Simple Framework for Families
Start with what your loved one can and can't do each day. This framework, and a side-by-side comparison of every care option, can help your family decide.
In-Home Care: Home Care vs. Home Health Care, What Aides Do, and Who Pays
Two very different services hide behind the words "home care." Here is how to tell them apart, what an aide can and can't do, and how families actually pay.
Assisted Living: What It Offers, How It's Regulated, and What It Costs
Assisted living blends a private apartment with help on hand around the clock. Here's what's included, who regulates it, and what families typically pay.
Memory Care: What It Is, When It's Needed, and How to Choose
Memory care is built for people living with Alzheimer's and other dementias. Here's what sets it apart, how to know when it's time, and what to ask before choosing.
Nursing Homes: Skilled vs. Custodial Care, Star Ratings, and Residents' Rights
Nursing homes provide two very different kinds of care, and Medicare pays for only one. Here's how they work, how to compare them, and the rights every resident has.
Adult Day Care: What Happens There, What It Costs, and Who Pays
Adult day programs give an older adult company, activities, and supervision during the day, and give family caregivers time to work or catch their breath.
Respite Care: How Family Caregivers Can Take a Real Break
Respite care gives you a few hours, a day, or a week off while someone else cares for your loved one. Taking a break isn't selfish. It's how caregivers last.
Hospice and Palliative Care: The Difference, Medicare Eligibility, and What's Covered
Palliative care eases symptoms at any stage of a serious illness. Hospice is comfort care near the end of life. Here's how each works and how Medicare pays.
Common questions
How do I know what level of care is needed?
Look at which daily activities a person needs help with, how safe they are alone, and whether memory problems are involved. The Care Level Finder walks through these questions.
Can someone stay at home with dementia?
Often for a long time, with the right supports such as in-home care, adult day programs, and home safety changes. Needs usually grow over time. See memory care.