How Much does Maryland in-home senior care Cost?

Ask any senior citizen and they will tell you that there is no better feeling than being at home. The problem with this, however, is the cost of Maryland in-home senior care services. It can be difficult to know how much senior care costs because it varies from person to person. In this article, we are going to go over the four main factors that determine how much senior care services will cost you:

1. the type of care needed
2. the health of your senior family member
3. the amount of care needed
4. location of your loved one

Our goal is to provide you with helpful information that will give you peace of mind as you choose the right personal care services for your family.

First, we start with some general data to give you a ballpark figure.

Average Monthly Cost of In-Home Senior Care

According to the Genworth Cost of Care Survey 2021 the average Senior receives 44 hours of home care per week, 176 hours of care per month at an average rate of $26 per hour in Maryland. In simpler words, the average family spends $4601 per month on in-home senior care based on the survey. The actual rate each agency charges will vary based on the factors we will discuss in this article.

However, it is important that you consider a few key intangibles when choosing the right home care agency for your loved one (other than price):

1. Transparency – Does the agency present you and your family members with a clear plan and system for communication and updates about your senior family member
2. Professionalism – For home care agencies reliability and transparency in communication are the keys to determining that they are professional.
3. Training – how are their aides trained and how often are they re-trained. The Covid-19 Pandemic changed the face of in-home care and only those agencies with great training infrastructure were able to thrive and provide quality service.
4. Trust – Adding transparency in communication and expectations to professionalism and training creates a company you can trust. If you don’t trust your home care agency you should not hire them to care for your loved ones well being.

Your family member wants to stay in their own home. Numerous studies have proven that having support in their own homes by a trained caregiver is what is best for long-term health. Nursing home placement is not bad but no nursing home compares to the quality of life and services your loved one our clients receive in their homes.

Type Of Care Needed

Gaining a firm understanding of the care services your loved one needs is crucial to the success of their relationship with their in-home care provider. In general, we break the services and types of care into 2 main categories: Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and Activities of daily living (ADL). We will also define for you three other terms you may see used online that have similar meanings: Companion care, Homemaker care, and Personal Care.

Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL)

are the necessary tasks that allow someone to live independently. They include things like meal preparation, shopping for groceries or clothes to wear every day, and tackling housework such as cleaning up after oneself! Caregivers can assist seniors by helping to provide these services.

Activities of daily living (ADL)

are things that people do every day to be healthy as older adults. These include feeding themselves, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and tasks related to mobility, like getting out of bed or moving around the home. ADLs are absolutely essential tasks that help define human existence.

Companion care/Homemaker care

Companion care is a type of personal assistance that can be provided to help preserve the independence and quality of life for those who are otherwise healthy. Companion services will often include basic companionship, medication reminders, medication management/follow-up appointment tracking (to make sure you don’t miss any important prescription times), transportation needs to medical appointments, or social events.

Personal care

These types of services primarily deal with activities of daily living—that is, they’re focused on allowing someone with mobility or other challenges to continue to age in place without further jeopardizing their health.

Why does Location affect the cost of In-Home Care?

The cost of living in Maryland varies from city to city and county to county. The price of gas is drastically different in Montgomery County than it is in Charles county and even parts of Silver Spring vary greatly too. Generally, the cost of senior care is largely affected by the cost of living in a particular area. For example, it will generally be more expensive to hire a home health aide in Silver Spring, MD than it is in Frederick, MD. Likewise, Montgomery County rates may be different than Baltimore City or Baltimore County rates. No matter where they live the services that caregivers provide should be the same.

How Much Care is Needed?

The amount of care a senior needs also greatly affects the cost of home care. Generally, the more hours of care needed each week, the higher the cost of in-home care will be. For example, if you need 24/hour home health aide coverage, your monthly rate would be much higher than if you only need someone to provide care for a few hours each day.

That being said, at Family Choice Healthcare we chare the same fee if you are a Maryland resident in our service area.  That means you can rest assured that our prices wont vary from Baltimore, MD to Ownings Mills to the Eastern Shore, Ellicott City, to Ocean City to Montgomery County, to PG County, and more.

How does a person’s health affect the cost of in-home care?

In-home care providers base their rates on a person’s health and need for assistance. For example, if your loved one is healthy but needs help with certain tasks around the house, you may be able to find an agency that offers lower rates than someone whose condition requires them to have round-the-clock in home care. Caregivers also have to assess the safety of the client and precautions that need to be put in place to mitigate risk.
Their health also affects the type of Aide your loved one may need. There are four main types of Aides your loved one could need:

Home Health Aide (HHA) and Personal Care Aide (PCA)c

Home Health Aides and/or Patient Care Assistants are specialists who help patient’s daily activities such as: showering and bathing, toileting, dressing, meal prep, light housekeeping, scheduling, and shopping for things like groceries. Some HHAs or PCAs are qualified to check vital signs such as pulse, temperature, and respiration rate. The minimum educational requirement for an HHA or PCA is typically a high school diploma although many have some college education as well.

Nursing Assistant (CNA)d

Nursing Assistants, also known as Certified Nursing Assistants are aides who have completed a state-approved education program and passed a state competency exam by the MD Department of Health. They can provide basic medical assistance like administering medication as well as care needs for a patient’s daily activities such as: cleaning and bathing, toileting, dressing, transferring, first aid, measuring vital signs and blood pressure, and serving meals.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and Licenses Vocational Nurse (LVN)e

LPNs and LVNs have received a certificate or diploma by attending a state-approved educational program by the Maryland Department of health and pass the National Council Licensure Examination. They are certified to provide more advanced medical care needs under the supervision of a registered nurse, such as: checking vital signs, changing bandages, inserting catheters, bathing, dressing, discussing care needs, and reporting patient status to registered nurses or doctors.

Registered Nurse (RN)

Registered Nurses, also knowns as RNs, provide advanced care needs for seniors and educate the client and family members about health conditions. Registered Nurses can provide the following services, but not limited to assessing client’s conditions, administering the client’s medicines and treatments, operating and monitoring medical equipment, performing diagnostic tests and analyzing results, and educating clients and their families on how to manage illnesses or injuries. Some RN’s oversee LPNs, CNAs, and HHAs. There are three ways to become a registered nurse:

1. attain a Bachelor of Science Degree in nursing (BSN),
2. attain an Associates Degree in nursing (ADN), or
3. attain a diploma from an approved nursing program.

RNs also must pass the National Council of Licensure Examination before practicing. Put simply RNs help with care coordination services.

About Family Choice Healthcare

We are an independently owned and operated regional home care provider that has been servicing Maryland seniors for over 25 years. Our in home services include ADLs and IADLs. We believe senior care should not be hard and strive to educate you on your options and provide the services that Maryland residents need. Our home care services are provided to Silver Spring, MD, Bethesda MD, Montgomery County, Baltimore County, Prince George’s County, Baltimore City, Charles county, and Anne Arundel county.

In addition to serving Maryland seniors, we also have caregivers who service parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. We have created this website to answer many of your questions about care services for seniors. If there are specific services you would like to learn about please feel free to give us a phone call, we would love to chat with you.